Once again, the key issue is not whether New Orleans should order an evacuation every time a hurricane is in the Gulf. Instead, the key question is why there was absolutely no plan to get those without cars out of a city below sea level. And the bonus question is how many other gaping holes are there in disaster plans around the country, at a time when we are worried about dirty bombs or biological attacks as well as natural disasters?
dirtboy gets a don-o
for that!
To say there was no plan is an over-statement.
The argument as to the government's responsibility to provide transporation is not absolute.
If you remember the evacuation last year in California because Prado Dam was too full and leaking and they "feared" it would break. They had officers knocking on doors and waking people in the middle of the night and telling them to leave... NOW! They people complied and got the heck out! Lines and lines of cars as the Corp furiously pumped water into the River system..... so other places are prepared with disaster planning and in a place like the Gulf Coast it's unconscionable that they didn't have an orderly plan.
Planning a large-scale evacuation of an entire metropolitan area is like planning to stage a Shakespeare play in the middle of a tornado. At night.
Gaping holes in disaster plans? You better believe it. When faced with a situation like this, your best approach is to keep your wits about you, think clearly, and hope that your instincts are sound.