/s
Posted on 09/09/2005 7:58:33 AM PDT by rit
August 27, 2005
The President The White House Washington, D. C.
Through: Regional Director FEMA Region VI 800 North Loop 288 Denton, Texas 76209
Dear Mr. President:
Under the provisions of Section 501 (a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5206 (Stafford Act), and implemented by 44 CFR § 206.35, I request that you declare an emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina for the time period beginning August 26, 2005, and continuing. The affected areas are all the southeastern parishes including the New Orleans Metropolitan area and the mid state Interstate I-49 corridor and northern parishes along the I-20 corridor that are accepting the thousands of citizens evacuating from the areas expecting to be flooded as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
In response to the situation I have taken appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on August 26, 2005 in accordance with Section 501 (a) of the Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order to support the evacuations of the coastal areas in accordance with our State Evacuation Plan and the remainder of the state to support the State Special Needs and Sheltering Plan.
Pursuant to 44 CFR § 206.35, I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal.
Preliminary estimates of the types and amount of emergency assistance needed under the Stafford Act, and emergency assistance from certain Federal agencies under other statutory authorities are tabulated in Enclosure A.
The following information is furnished on the nature and amount of State and local resources that have been or will be used to alleviate the conditions of this emergency:
. Department of Social Services (DSS): Opening (3) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing (3) on Standby.
. Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH): Opening (3) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby.
. Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters.
. Louisiana State Police (LSP): Providing support for the phased evacuation of the coastal areas.
. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF): Supporting the evacuation of the affected population and preparing for Search and Rescue Missions.
. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD): Coordinating traffic flow and management of the evacuations routes with local officials and the State of Mississippi.
The following information is furnished on efforts and resources of other Federal agencies, which have been or will be used in responding to this incident:
. FEMA ERT-A Team en-route.
I certify that for this emergency, the State and local governments will assume all applicable non-Federal share of costs required by the Stafford Act.
I request Direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property.
(a) List any reasons State and local government cannot perform or contract for performance, (if applicable).
(b) Specify the type of assistance requested.
In accordance with 44 CFR § 206.208, the State of Louisiana agrees that it will, with respect to Direct Federal assistance:
1. Provide without cost to the United States all lands, easement, and rights-of-ways necessary to accomplish the approved work.
2. Hold and save the United States free from damages due to the requested work, and shall indemnify the Federal Government against any claims arising from such work;
3. Provide reimbursement to FEMA for the non-Federal share of the cost of such work in accordance with the provisions of the FEMA-State Agreement; and
4. Assist the performing Federal agency in all support and local jurisdictional matters.
In addition, I anticipate the need for debris removal, which poses an immediate threat to lives, public health, and safety.
Pursuant to Sections 502 and 407 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5192 & 5173, the State agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States of America for any claims arising from the removal of debris or wreckage for this disaster. The State agrees that debris removal from public and private property will not occur until the landowner signs an unconditional authorization for the removal of debris.
I have designated Mr. Art Jones as the State Coordinating Officer for this request. He will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in damage assessments and may provide further information or justification on my behalf.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Governor
8/28/05 National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield said Saturday afternoon that Hurricane Katrina will be at least a Category 4, with winds of 145 mph when it approaches the New Orleans area, and that it could be a Category 5, with winds of 155 mph or higher.
8/28/05 Superdome will be opened as a refuge of last resort for special needs patients if it becomes necessary. New Orleans residents can call 504-658-2500 for shelter information. People seeking access to a special needs shelter must call in advance to gain admission.
8/28/05 The mayor said he would stick with the state’s evacuation plan and not officially call for residents to leave until 30 hours before expected landfall, allowing residents in low-lying surrounding areas to leave first. But he recommended residents in low-lying areas of the city, such as Algiers and the 9th Ward, get a heard start.
It seems that on 8/28, they were thinking the Superdome would only be used as a SNS, not a public shelter. Then when all heck breaks loose....
Aides to Ms. Blanco said she was prepared to accept the deployment of active-duty military officials in her state. But she and other state officials balked at giving up control of the Guard as Justice Department officials said would have been required by the Insurrection Act if those combat troops were to be sent in before order was restored.
Meanwhile.... American Red Cross officials who wanted to deliver food, water and supplies to New Orleans residents stranded after Hurricane Katrina were turned down last week in the first days after the storm because of security concerns.
Katrina came ashore Monday, and Col. Jay Mayeaux, deputy director of the state Office of Homeland Security, said he asked Red Cross officials not to enter the city when he received the request on Friday, requesting instead that they wait at least 24 hours until security was more stable in the area.
"It was a military operation. We were asked by the military not to go in, and we abided by that request," said Vic Howell, CEO of the Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross.
The Red Cross did hand out supplies in many of New Orleans' neighboring, hurricane-ravaged parishes and on Saturday went into New Orleans, according to Howell.
/s
What is the source of this letter? It seems to be quite different from reality.
Was this letter written today and dated 8/27/2005? I doubt it's authenticity. Did Dan Rather give you this letter?
This letter is an obvious feeble attempt to "CYA" from Governor Blanco. Pure B.S.
In fact, she was quoted elsewhere that "No one told me I had to do that" regarding the request for which type of troops. So this letter makes it sound like she DID know, and failed anyway. She is an incompetent liar, otherwise known as a Democrat.
They also urged the president "respectfully but in the strongest possible terms to tour the devastated area as soon as practical," a visit they said would reassure residents that federal agencies are focused on helping the area recover.
I saw that same letter the other day on the N.O. TP site, too. That site looks like TP articles posted on a daily basis. If there's any B.S., the TP would have to be involved.
But, the bottom line is, New Orleans and LA officials were in charge of evacuation. And they failed. They've had years (and plenty of money from the feds) to finalize evacuation plans for their doomed city. It was their responsibility, and they didn't follow through. And now they're pointing their fingers at everyone else.
I agree.
Their plan was to feed 15,000 people for three days. Before the storm even hit, 26,000 people were already there.
I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments(read: unprepared), and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance ("because all the Greyhounds are out of town and the Mayor won't lower himself to get on a schoolbus"), and debris removal. (i.e., "clean up when we're done")
.. but...
Aides to Ms. Blanco said she was prepared to accept the deployment of active-duty military officials in her state. But she and other state officials balked at giving up control of the Guard as Justice Department officials said would have been required by the Insurrection Act if those combat troops were to be sent in before order was restored.
TP is a better name for the Times Picayune. Yes the first response is City, then State, then Fed.
The letter is faked to fit their need after all the criticisms of the Bush Administration aren't sticking to them. Read the polls, they indicate that the general public thinks this was strictly ineptness and incompetence on the parts of the mayour of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana. They can go back and re-write history in their letter, but we all know what really happened.
The letter from the two Senators has nothing to do with the failure of the Governor to act. It is apparent that elected officials in Louisiana are void of any brain matter.
This is the story in a nutshell.
I had asked about this the other day, as this looks like the letter Bush prepared and asked her to sign, which she had not by Thursday of last week. Now, she has it posted on her web site and back dated to August 27th, and I am really hoping someone can nail her in this deception.
What exactly was requested in this Enclosure A?
Why don't you point it out to a few people in the media?
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