Posted on 09/07/2008 4:09:59 AM PDT by abb
BATON ROUGE -- At 2 a.m. Aug. 31, with Hurricane Gustav a day away from landfall, Gov. Bobby Jindal called a meeting of the state's high-level emergency command group to face another crisis in the massive evacuation of southern Louisiana.
Hearing the news that Gustav was a potential monster storm, several hospitals in the New Orleans area had decided Saturday to evacuate rather than ride out the tempest, and suddenly ambulances with critical-care patients were lining up at Lakefront Airport awaiting airlift for the community's most helpless people. But there weren't nearly enough planes.
Jindal knew the storm's initial high winds would ground aircraft by 9 p.m., so he had less than 20 hours to mobilize a key part of one of the largest medical evacuations in the nation's history, without sufficient resources in hand. Otherwise, the patients, along with the nurses and doctors attending them, could risk remaining in Gustav's path.
"You could see it in his eye," said Alan Levine, the state's health secretary. "He didn't want any bureaucracy to get in the way."
What followed was an example of how the government since Hurricane Katrina has improved its ability to handle disasters, including, foremost, a more involved federal response, better coordination among agencies and politicians on all levels and the benefit of lessons learned from the catastrophe of 2005.
At the center of this reinvented decision-making system, according to interviews with those in the middle of the process, was Jindal, 37, who was leading a brand new team of aides and Cabinet members with a little more than seven months of experience in office. Adding to the pressure, Gustav drew the media's spotlight during the Republican National Convention, putting Jindal and his GOP administration's performance on a national stage...
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(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
It is only fair for me to also post articles whenever Gov Jindal excels in his leadership as he did during Gustav. This was a big test and he passed it with flying colors.
Congratulations, Bobby. You did us Louisianans proud.
JindalWatch® Ping
I was a skeptic based on the pay raise fiasco and some other things, but he’s won me over.
BUMP
Jindal- Palin the new face of the GOP.
Good bye to the old spineless, cave in, cant we all just get along, toetapping Monica Lewinsky wing of the RNC/GOP!
Leadership - and the lack thereof - was one of the main reasons MeeMaw’s administration was a failure. The contrast between Jindal and her is clear.
I think he got caught in a bad position in the pay raise thing, and was trying to be honorable. But, at the end of the day, he learned a lesson- one that he won’t have to learn again.
One nice thing about Southwestern to Western Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth) is that we have mild weather, (never freezes on the coasts), but we do not have cyclones as they cannot form because the Southern Ocean water is too cold for the storms to develop.
Yep, helluva difference from Katrina.
Bobby was great, but the real test may be about 3 days away. He may have to convince his people to pack up again and get moving...not easy just 2 weeks later.
But if anyone can do it, it’s clearly him.
One nice thing about Southwestern to Western Australia ....
Yeah, but you guys have them box jellyfishes...scary stuff.
PS: I love Australia. What a magnificent country.
Jindahl, Pawlenty, Cantor and Palin are part of the Conservative Future.
When adults are in charge
There has been almost nothing in the national media about this roaring success. If Jindal were a Democrat, his face would be all over the place and he would be touted as the greatest thing since sliced bread and contrasted to "Bush's Katrina Disaster" which tried to kill all the poor people in New Orleans.
An excellent point. The "media" is so in the tank for the Democrats that it defies belief. The only "good thing" is that more and more people are becoming aware that that is the case.
Pelican State ping
I agree. The Governor showed outstanding leadership before and after Gustav. If, God forbid, Ike comes this way, I hope he shows that same leadership and get-the-job-done attitude.
Residents of Louisiana knew who was in control.
The Governor showed outstanding leadership
It was such a dramatic difference between gustav readiness and Gustav readiness. Just by listening to him since he became Governor, I believe he has what it takes to turn LA around and maybe the country! Let’s pray he continues on the great path he is paving.
It was such a dramatic difference between gustav readiness and Gustav readiness
Just realized my error. Should have been Gustav readiness and Katrina readiness. Can’t get that mean old man out of my mind!
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