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FEMA outlines La. failures, Agency testifies local officials failed to follow plans
theadvocate ^ | 12/09/05 | GERARD SHIELDS

Posted on 12/09/2005 12:27:39 PM PST by ncountylee

WASHINGTON -- Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinators acknowledged before a congressional committee Thursday that they were overwhelmed by Hurricane Katrina but blamed New Orleans and Louisiana officials for failing to implement an emergency response plan. The situation was so haphazard that New Orleans failed to identify shelters in advance where hurricane victims could go.

"It's the responsibility of the local authority to evacuate their people and set up shelters," said Philip Parr, who coordinated FEMA's response at the Superdome. "I found that there was little preparation."

Parr was one of three FEMA officials who testified Thursday before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

Scott Wells, FEMA's federal coordinating officer in Baton Rouge, agreed with Parr's assessment. The initial emergency responsibility lies with the local government, followed by the state government, then federal agencies, he said.

At one point, Louisiana State Police turned away two FEMA trucks with water, ice and meals from the Superdome, Wells said.

(Excerpt) Read more at 2theadvocate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Politics/Elections; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: fema; katrina; katrinafailures

1 posted on 12/09/2005 12:27:41 PM PST by ncountylee
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To: ncountylee
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Messages left at his office were not returned.

Denise Bottcher, spokeswoman for Gov. Kathleen Blanco, disputed FEMA's claims that the state was unprepared.

LOL

2 posted on 12/09/2005 12:29:46 PM PST by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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To: ncountylee

MSM will ignore these facts as they surface.


3 posted on 12/09/2005 12:31:23 PM PST by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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To: ncountylee

>>"It's the responsibility of the local authority to evacuate their people and set up shelters," said Philip Parr, who coordinated FEMA's response at the Superdome.<<
True. The plan specifically calls on the mayor to use all means necessary to evacuate people, including school buses. We all saw what happened to the school buses.


4 posted on 12/09/2005 12:32:15 PM PST by travlnmn41
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To: ncountylee
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Messages left at his office were not returned.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1537285/posts

If this reporter were on FR, Nagin could be found.

5 posted on 12/09/2005 12:36:40 PM PST by GoBucks2002
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To: ncountylee
Blanco hopes to set the record straight next week when she appears before Congress to discuss the state's emergency preparedness plan, Bottcher said.

That would to be interesting. I hope whoever is doing the questioning isn't wearing kid gloves. She needs to be shown as the clueless incompetent she truly is.

6 posted on 12/09/2005 12:40:54 PM PST by FreedomPoster (Guns themselves are fairly robust; their chief enemies are rust and politicians) (NRA)
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To: FreedomPoster

Wonder how "tranked" Blanco will be?


7 posted on 12/09/2005 12:48:34 PM PST by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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To: ncountylee

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Messages left at his office were not returned.


----He will NEVER answer questions truthfully that point directly back to HIS and Blancos incompetance so what is the point of trying to contact him anyway. Just keep on investigating until there is nothing left to look into and then charge him/her with being negligent, fraud, whatever.


8 posted on 12/09/2005 2:26:11 PM PST by WasDougsLamb (I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed man)
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To: ncountylee

DID ANYONE SEE THE TV NEWSVIDEO WITH HER TOURING THE SCENE OF DEVASTATION WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND PUTTING ON HER LIPSTICK??!!@@$%%$#*@&@!&

IF SO, I HOPE YOU CAN POST IT.

SHE'S TOO STUPID TO STAY HOME AND BAKE COOKIES!!


9 posted on 12/09/2005 5:22:56 PM PST by victim soul
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