National Hurricane Director had to call Nagin at home Saturday night to plead: "Get people out..."

Knight Ridder Newspapers ^ | Sun, Aug. 28, 2005 | BY MARC CAPUTO, DAVID OVALLE AND ERIKA BOLSTAD

[joinedafterattack]

MAYOR CRITICIZED EVEN BEFORE LEVY BREAK. National Hurricane Center Director had to call Nagin at home Saturday night to plead: "Get people out of New Orleans." "The criticisms of Nagin came from above as well. Numerous officials urged him to evacuate the city, but he worried about the legality of ordering people out when New Orleans has few safe hurricane shelters. Also, National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield in Miami called Nagin at home Saturday night and told him: Get people out of New Orleans.

''I could never sleep if I felt like I didn't do everything that I could to impress upon people the gravity of the situation,'' Mayfield said. ``New Orleans is never going to be the same.''

When a grim Nagin issued the mandatory evacuation order Sunday, he said: ``We are facing a storm that most of us have feared . . . God bless us.''

[mewzilla]

Unbefreakinglievable.

This guy makes Nero look good.

[MizSterious]

That would be my guess, but I'm not an expert. I just know a lot could have been done, but wasn't, from the evacuation to the maintenance of the levees and pumps.

[pollywog]

+Failure to dispatch

= Bush's fault.

THIS SHOULD BE MADE INTO A POSTER and DISTRIBUTED all OVER!!!!!!!! Makes SO MUCH SENSE.

[Enchante]

Hey, does anyone know when/if the "Emergency Broadcasting System" began issuing warnings and then the mandatory evacuation order? Supposedly radio and tv are able to inundate the public with info -- people should not have been able to turn to any broadcast channel without getting the info..... don't know if there's anything similar for cable and satellite channels....

[mewzilla]

Numerous officials urged him to evacuate the city, but he worried about the legality of ordering people out when New Orleans has few safe hurricane shelters.

Well, why in Hades was that the case??

[Fawn]

Next time---tell Nagin that the hurricane is an ELECTION---he'll get those busses up and running in no time....

[MizSterious]

From folks I know who got out before it hit--the local teevee stations were downplaying both the severity and the likelihood of it hitting New Orleans. Some think they were trying to milk the last tourist dollar--and making a bet that the storm wouldn't hit.

[Enchante]

"He was a Republican before he switched affiliations and ran for NO mayor. Leftwingers viewed his candidacy as a Republican trick. He even endorsed Jindal for governor over Blanco. He's not beloved in Dem circles and will end up taking the fall for other die hard Dems are are just as responsible for this fiasco."

UH OH, I didn't know that. Well we can see the next talking points for the 'Rats already: the Mayor was a DINO! He was really a wolf in sheep's clothing! The reason he screwed the pooch is that he's just like those Bush/Haliburton people.....

[MizSterious]

Well, because they'd rather spend money on other things, like graft.

[WHBates]

That is why Bush declared the whole region a disaster area on Saturday. Basically so they had no excuse to get moving and give them cover. This whole blame Bush or FEMA thing is just so stupid it's unbelievable.

[mewzilla]

If Congress gives these pols immunity....

[R. Scott]

Removed from power? How about prosecution for gross negligence and malfeasance of office? Maybe even negligent homicide?

[Torie]

No transportation out. I blame them all. I am an equal opportunity blamer. The levees broke all the way up to Crawford, Texas, each and every one of them. The performance at each and every levee was unacceptable. Never again. When this number of lives is at stake, and we all knew it as of Sat AM, no excuse will do. None.

[Enchante]

"the local teevee stations were downplaying both the severity and the likelihood of it hitting New Orleans. Some think they were trying to milk the last tourist dollar--and making a bet that the storm wouldn't hit."

Someone needs to make a thorough study of what was broadcast locally on all the major channels, Fri., Sat., and Sun. Are all stations recorded and archived by anyplace other than their own (expungable) records?? Maybe LSU in Baton Rouge has a media center that keeps such recordings?? If it could be shown that the MSM downplayed the threat (just as they ignored the terror threat before 9/11) that would be important to know. I'm not saying we could ever get the 'Rats and the MSM to admit their failures, just that it would be good to know about it.

[Peelod]

negligent homicide

Blanco and Nagin will beat any charge of negligent manslaughter. They will claim diminished capacity.

[MizSterious]

I personally wouldn't know where to begin--and am relying on my relatives and interviews from folks who made it out and talked to local news reporters. That said, I'd love to see research on this, to add to all that we already have.

[Guenevere]

bttt

[MarMema]

ROFL!!! Thanks for a great laugh. Can I put this on my FR page?

[Echo Talon]

I don't care you can use ANY of my the stuff I make.