[hansel]

I haven't read through all of this thread and so I apologize in advance if this topic has been discussed:

My husband is trying to defend himself against a liberal. The lib is arguing that if Bush declared Louisiana a disaster area before the hurricane hit (last Sat.), he was negligent because he should have had supplies shipped and ready and waiting outside of the state for use after the hurricane hit.

Did Blanco not accept the aid or was there a breakdown in communication that supplies never got into LA?

Does anyone have a source for WHY no supplies were moved in right after the hurricane? Was that FEMA's job or was that under the jurisdiction of Blanco?

Anything I can tell him to link to?

Thanks.

[Cboldt]

Supplies were there. The local authorites advised against moving the supplies into NOLA becuase of civil unrest. The Red Cross website asserts this. The material was there.

[oceanview]

supplies and material are pre-staged - but they cannot be staged inside the zone of destruction, what sense would that make. the first 48 hours of an event like this, requires the locals do something - anything, to help themselves. and at a minimum, the locals should maintain civil order so that when FEMA does get there, they don't have to enter anarchy in an attempt to deliver relief and begin evacuations. FEMA wasn't designed for that.

[NautiNurse]

See post #652.

Let us know if you still have questions.

[WoodstockCat]

ask him what good supplies spread all over the bayou by 125+ mph winds would have done.
Ask him what good helicopters submerged or with twisted rotors would have done.
Ask him to take a map of Lousiana and Mississippi and find all of the roads that support 18-wheeler, 80 ton trucks.
Then ask him to read the number of roads that were covered in pine trees leading into the disaster.
72 hours is SOP for a disater area. Bringing minimal supplies in earlier would have resulted in rioting over what was available.
The supplies were staged as close as possible to the disaster area considering the storm was causing tropical force winds from outer LA to almost Panama City, FL.
The storm was HUGE.