Katrina Timeline

thebullet

Rebel without applause
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Friday, August 26
GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA: [Office of the Governor]

GULF COAST STATES REQUEST TROOP ASSISTANCE FROM PENTAGON: At a 9/1 press conference, Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, commander, Joint Task Force Katrina, said that the Gulf States began the process of requesting additional forces on Friday, 8/26. [DOD]

Saturday, August 27
5AM — KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE [CNN]

GOV. BLANCO ASKS BUSH TO DECLARE FEDERAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA: “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.” [Office of the Governor]

FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARED, DHS AND FEMA GIVEN FULL AUTHORITY TO RESPOND TO KATRINA: “Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.” [White House]

Sunday, August 28
2AM – KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE [CNN]

7AM – KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE [CNN]

MORNING — LOUISIANA NEWSPAPER SIGNALS LEVEES MAY GIVE: “Forecasters Fear Levees Won’t Hold Katrina”: “Forecasters feared Sunday afternoon that storm driven waters will lap over the New Orleans levees when monster Hurricane Katrina pushes past the Crescent City tomorrow.” [Lafayette Daily Advertiser]

9:30 AM — MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES FIRST EVER MANDATORY EVACUATION OF NEW ORLEANS: “We’re facing the storm most of us have feared,” said Nagin. “This is going to be an unprecedented event.” [Times-Picayune]

4PM – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES SPECIAL HURRICANE WARNING: In the event of a category 4 or 5 hit, “Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer. … At least one-half of well-constructed homes will have roof and wall failure. All gabled roofs will fail, leaving those homes severely damaged or destroyed. … Power outages will last for weeks. … Water shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards.” [National Weather Service]

AFTERNOON — BUSH, BROWN, CHERTOFF WARNED OF LEVEE FAILURE BY NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER DIRECTOR: Dr. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center: “‘We were briefing them way before landfall. … It’s not like this was a surprise. We had in the advisories that the levee could be topped.’” [Times-Picayune; St. Petersburg Times]

LATE PM – REPORTS OF WATER TOPPLING OVER LEVEE: “Waves crashed atop the exercise path on the Lake Pontchartrain levee in Kenner early Monday as Katrina churned closer.” [Times-Picayune]

APPROXIMATELY 30,000 EVACUEES GATHER AT SUPERDOME WITH ROUGHLY 36 HOURS WORTH OF FOOD [Times-Picayune]

Monday, August 29
7AM – KATRINA MAKES LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE [CNN]

8AM – MAYOR NAGIN REPORTS THAT WATER IS FLOWING OVER LEVEE: “I’ve gotten reports this morning that there is already water coming over some of the levee systems. In the lower ninth ward, we’ve had one of our pumping stations to stop operating, so we will have significant flooding, it is just a matter of how much.” [NBC’s “Today Show”]

MORNING — BUSH CALLS SECRETARY CHERTOFF TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATION: “I spoke to Mike Chertoff today — he’s the head of the Department of Homeland Security. I knew people would want me to discuss this issue [immigration], so we got us an airplane on — a telephone on Air Force One, so I called him. I said, are you working with the governor? He said, you bet we are.” [White House]

MORNING – BUSH SHARES BIRTHDAY CAKE PHOTO-OP WITH SEN. JOHN MCCAIN [White House]

11AM — BUSH VISITS ARIZONA RESORT TO PROMOTE MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT: “This new bill I signed says, if you’re a senior and you like the way things are today, you’re in good shape, don’t change. But, by the way, there’s a lot of different options for you. And we’re here to talk about what that means to our seniors.” [White House]

LATE MORNING – LEVEE BREACHED: “A large section of the vital 17th Street Canal levee, where it connects to the brand new ‘hurricane proof’ Old Hammond Highway bridge, gave way late Monday morning in Bucktown after Katrina’s fiercest winds were well north.” [Times-Picayune]

11:30AM — MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY REQUESTS THAT DHS DISPATCH 1,000 EMPLOYEES TO REGION, GIVES THEM TWO DAYS TO ARRIVE: “Brown’s memo to Chertoff described Katrina as ‘this near catastrophic event’ but otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, ‘Thank you for your consideration in helping us to meet our responsibilities.’” [AP]

2PM — BUSH TRAVELS TO CALIFORNIA SENIOR CENTER TO DISCUSS MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT: “We’ve got some folks up here who are concerned about their Social Security or Medicare. Joan Geist is with us. … I could tell — she was looking at me when I first walked in the room to meet her, she was wondering whether or not old George W. is going to take away her Social Security check.” [White House]

9PM — RUMSFELD ATTENDS SAN DIEGO PADRES BASEBALL GAME: Rumsfeld “joined Padres President John Moores in the owner’s box…at Petco Park.” [Editor & Publisher]

Tuesday, August 30
9AM – BUSH SPEAKS ON IRAQ AT NAVAL BASE CORONADO [White House]

MIDDAY – CHERTOFF FINALLY BECOMES AWARE THAT LEVEE HAS FAILED: “It was on Tuesday that the levee–may have been overnight Monday to Tuesday–that the levee started to break. And it was midday Tuesday that I became aware of the fact that there was no possibility of plugging the gap and that essentially the lake was going to start to drain into the city.” [Meet the Press, 9/4/05]

PENTAGON CLAIMS THERE ARE ENOUGH NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS IN REGION: “Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said the states have adequate National Guard units to handle the hurricane needs.” [WWL-TV]

MASS LOOTING REPORTED, SECURITY SHORTAGE CITED: “The looting is out of control. The French Quarter has been attacked,” Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson said. “We’re using exhausted, scarce police to control looting when they should be used for search and rescue while we still have people on rooftops.” [AP]

U.S.S. BATAAN SITS OFF SHORE, VIRTUALLY UNUSED: “The USS Bataan, a 844-foot ship designed to dispatch Marines in amphibious assaults, has helicopters, doctors, hospital beds, food and water. It also can make its own water, up to 100,000 gallons a day. And it just happened to be in the Gulf of Mexico when Katrina came roaring ashore. The Bataan rode out the storm and then followed it toward shore, awaiting relief orders. Helicopter pilots flying from its deck were some of the first to begin plucking stranded New Orleans residents. But now the Bataan’s hospital facilities, including six operating rooms and beds for 600 patients, are empty.” [Chicago Tribune]

3PM – PRESIDENT BUSH PLAYS GUITAR WITH COUNTRY SINGER MARK WILLIS [AP]

BUSH RETURNS TO CRAWFORD FOR FINAL NIGHT OF VACATION [AP]

Wednesday, August 31
TENS OF THOUSANDS TRAPPED IN SUPERDOME; CONDITIONS DETERIORATE: “A 2-year-old girl slept in a pool of urine. Crack vials littered a restroom. Blood stained the walls next to vending machines smashed by teenagers. ‘We pee on the floor. We are like animals,’ said Taffany Smith, 25, as she cradled her 3-week-old son, Terry. … By Wednesday, it had degenerated into horror. … At least two people, including a child, have been raped. At least three people have died, including one man who jumped 50 feet to his death, saying he had nothing left to live for. There is no sanitation. The stench is overwhelming.”" [Los Angeles Times, 9/1/05]

PRESIDENT BUSH FINALLY ORGANIZES TASK FORCE TO COORDINATE FEDERAL RESPONSE: Bush says on Tuesday he will “fly to Washington to begin work…with a task force that will coordinate the work of 14 federal agencies involved in the relief effort.” [New York Times, 8/31/05]

JEFFERSON PARISH EMERGENCY DIRECTOR SAYS FOOD AND WATER SUPPLY GONE: “Director Walter Maestri: FEMA and national agencies not delivering the help nearly as fast as it is needed.” [WWL-TV]

80,000 BELIEVED STRANDED IN NEW ORLEANS: Former Mayor Sidney Barthelemy “estimated 80,000 were trapped in the flooded city and urged President Bush to send more troops.” [Reuters]

3,000 STRANDED AT CONVENTION CENTER WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER: “With 3,000 or more evacuees stranded at the convention center — and with no apparent contingency plan or authority to deal with them — collecting a body was no one’s priority. … Some had been at the convention center since Tuesday morning but had received no food, water or instructions.” [Times-Picayune]

5PM — BUSH GIVES FIRST MAJOR ADDRESS ON KATRINA: “Nothing about the president’s demeanor… — which seemed casual to the point of carelessness — suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis.” [New York Times]

8:00PM – CONDOLEEZZA RICE TAKES IN A BROADWAY SHOW: “On Wednesday night, Secretary Rice was booed by some audience members at ‘Spamalot!, the Monty Python musical at the Shubert, when the lights went up after the performance.” [New York Post, 9/2/05]

9PM — FEMA DIRECTOR BROWN CLAIMS SURPRISE OVER SIZE OF STORM: “I must say, this storm is much much bigger than anyone expected.” [CNN]

Thursday, September 1
8AM — BUSH CLAIMS NO ONE EXPECTED LEVEES TO BREAK: “I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.” [Washington Post]

CONDOLEEZZA RICE VISITS U.S. OPEN: “Rice, [in New York] on three days’ vacation to shop and see the U.S. Open, hitting some balls with retired champ Monica Seles at the Indoor Tennis Club at Grand Central.” [New York Post]

STILL NO COMMAND AND CONTROL ESTABLISHED: Terry Ebbert, New Orleans Homeland Security Director: “This is a national emergency. This is a national disgrace. FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control. We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can’t bail out the city of New Orleans.” [Fox News]

2PM — MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES “DESPERATE SOS” TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: “This is a desperate SOS. Right now we are out of resources at the convention centre and don’t anticipate enough buses. We need buses. Currently the convention centre is unsanitary and unsafe and we’re running out of supplies.” [Guardian, 9/2/05]

2PM — MICHAEL BROWN CLAIMS NOT TO HAVE HEARD OF REPORTS OF VIOLENCE: “I’ve had no reports of unrest, if the connotation of the word unrest means that people are beginning to riot, or you know, they’re banging on walls and screaming and hollering or burning tires or whatever. I’ve had no reports of that.” [CNN]

NEW ORLEANS “DESCEND INTO ANARCHY”: “Storm victims were raped and beaten, fights and fires broke out, corpses lay out in the open, and rescue helicopters and law enforcement officers were shot at as flooded-out New Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday. ‘This is a desperate SOS,’ the mayor said.” [AP]

CONDOLEEZZA RICE GOES SHOE SHOPPING: “Just moments ago at the Ferragamo on 5th Avenue, Condoleeza Rice was seen spending several thousands of dollars on some nice, new shoes (we’ve confirmed this, so her new heels will surely get coverage from the WaPo’s Robin Givhan). A fellow shopper, unable to fathom the absurdity of Rice’s timing, went up to the Secretary and reportedly shouted, ‘How dare you shop for shoes while thousands are dying and homeless!’” [Gawker]

MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY LEARNS OF EVACUEES IN CONVENTION CENTER: “We learned about that (Thursday), so I have directed that we have all available resources to get that convention center to make sure that they have the food and water and medical care that they need.” [CNN]

Friday, September 2
ROVE-LED CAMPAIGN TO BLAME LOCAL OFFICIALS BEGINS: “Under the command of President Bush’s two senior political advisers, the White House rolled out a plan…to contain the political damage from the administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina.” President Bush’s comments from the Rose Garden Friday morning formed “the start of this campaign.” [New York Times, 9/5/05]

9:35AM — BUSH PRAISES MICHAEL BROWN: “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.” [White House, 9/2/05]

10 AM — PRESIDENT BUSH STAGES PHOTO-OP “BRIEFING”: Coast Guard helicopters and crew diverted to act as backdrop for President Bush’s photo-op.

BUSH VISIT GROUNDS FOOD AID: “Three tons of food ready for delivery by air to refugees in St. Bernard Parish and on Algiers Point sat on the Crescent City Connection bridge Friday afternoon as air traffic was halted because of President Bush’s visit to New Orleans, officials said.” [Times-Picayune]

LEVEE REPAIR WORK ORCHESTRATED FOR PRESIDENT’S VISIT: Sen. Mary Landrieu, 9/3: “Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment.” [Sen. Mary Landrieu]

BUSH USES 50 FIREFIGHTERS AS PROPS IN DISASTER AREA PHOTO-OP: A group of 1,000 firefighters convened in Atlanta to volunteer with the Katrina relief efforts. Of those, “a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew’s first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas.” [Salt Lake Tribune; Reuters]

3PM — BUSH “SATISFIED WITH THE RESPONSE”: “I am satisfied with the response. I am not satisfied with all the results.” [AP]

Saturday, September 3
SENIOR BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL LIES TO WASHINGTON POST, CLAIMS GOV. BLANCO NEVER DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY: The Post reported in their Sunday edition “As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.” They were forced to issue a correction hours later. [Washington Post, 9/4/05]

9AM — BUSH BLAMES STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS: “[T]he magnitude of responding to a crisis over a disaster area that is larger than the size of Great Britain has created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities. The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need.” [White House, 9/3/05]
 
thebullet said:

Intersting if woefully incomplete.

Where is the mention of the Red Cross unit blocked from entering New Orleans?

Where is the mention of the Mobile Hospital out of Georgia that was stopped 70 miles north of New Orleans?

Where is the mention of 32 DHS/FEMA firts response teams ordered to mobilize and preposition on the 28th?

Where is the mention of the two helicopter crews reprimanded for diverting to rescue people instead of returning to ferry more supplies?
 
Where is the mention of 32 DHS/FEMA firts response teams ordered to mobilize and preposition on the 28th?

FEMA Chief Sent Help Only When Storm Ended
By TED BRIDIS, Associated Press Writer
Wed Sep 7, 2:18 AM ET

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. disaster official waited hours after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast before he proposed to his boss sending at least 1,000 Homeland Security workers into the region to support rescuers, internal documents show.

Part of the mission, according to the documents obtained by The Associated Press, was to "convey a positive image" about the government's response for victims.

Acknowledging that such a move would take two days, Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sought the approval from Homeland
Security Secretary Michael Chertoff roughly five hours after Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29.

Before then, FEMA had positioned smaller rescue and communications teams across the Gulf Coast. But officials acknowledged the first department-wide appeal for help came only as the storm raged.

Brown's memo to Chertoff described Katrina as "this near catastrophic event" but otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, "Thank you for your consideration in helping us to meet our responsibilities."

The initial responses of the government and Brown came under escalating criticism as the breadth of destruction and death grew. President Bush and Congress on Tuesday pledged separate investigations into the federal response to Katrina. "Governments at all levels failed," said Sen. Susan Collins (news, bio, voting record), R-Maine.

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said Brown had positioned front-line rescue teams and Coast Guard helicopters before the storm. Brown's memo on Aug. 29 aimed to assemble the necessary federal work force to support the rescues, establish communications, and coordinate with victims and community groups, Knocke said.

Instead of rescuing people or recovering bodies, these employees would focus on helping victims find the help they needed, he said.

"There will be plenty of time to assess what worked and what didn't work," Knocke said. "Clearly there will be time for blame to be assigned and to learn from some of the successful efforts."

Brown's memo told employees that among their duties, they would be expected to "convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials,community organizations and the general public."

...
Meanwhile, the airline industry said the government's request for help evacuating storm victims didn't come until late Thursday afternoon. The president of the Air Transport Association, James May, said the Homeland Security Department called then to ask whether the group could participate in an airlift for refugees.
_______________________________________________________
Harold, your 32 FEMA response team were cosmetic. They weren't there to rescue people, they weren't there to take out dead people, they were there to 'convey a positive image'. Big Fuckin' Deal, Harold

Where is the mention of the two helicopter crews reprimanded for diverting to rescue people instead of returning to ferry more supplies?
Sorry I can't find the reference, Harold, but the story I read said the helicopter crew was reprimanded by their commander for saving lives rather than picking up supplies. So, Harold, what's your point?
 
thebullet said:
Harold, your 32 FEMA response team were cosmetic. They weren't there to rescue people, they weren't there to take out dead people, they were there to 'convey a positive image'. Big Fuckin' Deal, Harold

I notice you skip over the story of the mobile 1,000 bed hospital, which is if I understand the sparse information available about them one of those 32 teams you dismiss so blithely -- either that or it is an immediate federal response in addition to those 32 first-responder teams.

My point is that your "timline" is a list of carefully selected events that don't show anything close to the true picture because it completely ignores a lot of events that don't fit the preconceived agenda of the person who compiled it.
 
Weird Harold said:
My point is that your "timline" is a list of carefully selected events that don't show anything close to the true picture because it completely ignores a lot of events that don't fit the preconceived agenda of the person who compiled it.
So here is another timeline prepared by a right wing blog.

Anyone got the time to consolidate them?
 
Weird Harold said:
I notice you skip over the story of the mobile 1,000 bed hospital, which is if I understand the sparse information available about them one of those 32 teams you dismiss so blithely -- either that or it is an immediate federal response in addition to those 32 first-responder teams.

My point is that your "timline" is a list of carefully selected events that don't show anything close to the true picture because it completely ignores a lot of events that don't fit the preconceived agenda of the person who compiled it.

I've been keeping up with the Katrina news more than I should. (Getting depressed and angry over it) and have heard nothing regarding this 1,000 bed mobile hospital. I did some digging and it just arrived today according to FEMA's own website.

New Orleans is being evacuated of everyone.... not much need in having it there anymore.

This seems to be nothing more than propaganda.

Not being argumentative here. Saw some similar lefty propaganda of how the President's visit resulted in 3 tons of aid not being delivered. Come on people, we can't have it both ways. Do you want the president there or not? Because the President can be a walking red tape cutter if he so chooses. If he's willing to go there and LEAD, it's going to be better for everyone - even if 3 tons of aid is delayed for a few hours.
 
Ted-E-Bare said:
So here is another timeline prepared by a right wing blog.
...called Right Wing Nuthouse. Is that actually right wing, or blunt satire?
 
Weird Harold said:
I notice you skip over the story of the mobile 1,000 bed hospital, which is if I understand the sparse information available about them one of those 32 teams you dismiss so blithely -- either that or it is an immediate federal response in addition to those 32 first-responder teams.

My point is that your "timline" is a list of carefully selected events that don't show anything close to the true picture because it completely ignores a lot of events that don't fit the preconceived agenda of the person who compiled it.


You are correct, WH. The 1000 are in addition to the 32 teams already in place, they were volunteers as well NOT first responders.

-Alex
 
Alex756 said:
You are correct, WH. The 1000 are in addition to the 32 teams already in place, they were volunteers as well NOT first responders.

-Alex

And not available until today.
 
Couture said:
And not available until today.

Do you mean this information or the 1000 volunteers to help evacuees and those affected fill out their paperwork were not available until today?

-Alex

We don't HAVE alot of information yet. When was the red cross interview where they were told that Louisiana's homeland security dept on orders of the governor didn't let them go to the conv center with food and water? Was that today or yesterday?
 
I read the story about the mobile unit a few days ago. It was a state of the art mobile hospital with doctors, but it wasn't allowed into the area. From what I remember, it was FEMA who kept them out, but I could be mistaken.

There was also a story about FEMA's mobile homes getting sent to Atlanta by accident. They were supposed to go to MS and LA to serve as temporary housing.
 
Alex756 said:
Do you mean this information or the 1000 volunteers to help evacuees and those affected fill out their paperwork were not available until today?

-Alex

We don't HAVE alot of information yet. When was the red cross interview where they were told that Louisiana's homeland security dept on orders of the governor didn't let them go to the conv center with food and water? Was that today or yesterday?

You are right about that. There is all sort of information out there - telling good from bad is getting difficult. And there is a difference between honest mistakes and total fuckups. There is also a difference between trying and not trying. And being out of your depth.

But paperwork can wait. In Maslow's hierarchy, he places paperwork at number 105 on his list ;-) Actually, it seems like everyone from the local, state, and federal levels are working to fix this mess right now. I don't think it is possible to do anymore at present time. This is a good thing.

However, I specifically referring to medical and emergency personnel. The only reliable info I have from the Red Cross states that they were ordered by Homeland Security and Homeland Security is a federal department - with state constituents. However, it is a federal run department.

I would think that if the Red Cross meant the governor of the state, they would have said they were ordered out by the governor.
 
thebullet said:
Link to website

Friday, August 26
GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA: [Office of the Governor]

[snip]

Saturday, September 3
SENIOR BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL LIES TO WASHINGTON POST, CLAIMS GOV. BLANCO NEVER DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY: The Post reported in their Sunday edition “As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.” They were forced to issue a correction hours later. [Washington Post, 9/4/05]

Rovian.
 
BUSH USES 50 FIREFIGHTERS AS PROPS IN DISASTER AREA PHOTO-OP: A group of 1,000 firefighters convened in Atlanta to volunteer with the Katrina relief efforts. Of those, “a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew’s first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas.” [Salt Lake Tribune; Reuters]

Typical.

I hope he tracked some e-coli home on his boots.
 
Did anyone watch John Stewart tonight? To paraphrase he said:
'The question everyone is asking is: did the federal government really screw up the Katrina disaster from the very beginning? Did the President sit on his ass and do nothing for days before he realized there was a problem? Are the people in charge of disaster management just a bunch of inexperienced political cronies?

The short answer is: yes.

The long answer is : YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
 
Couture said:
I've been keeping up with the Katrina news more than I should. (Getting depressed and angry over it) and have heard nothing regarding this 1,000 bed mobile hospital. I did some digging and it just arrived today according to FEMA's own website.

I mistyped the capacity of the hospital -- see the following excerpt from the AP story that appeared on numerous news sites Sep 4th and 5th:

From: http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/nation/12562963.htm
Posted on Sun, Sep. 04, 2005

Doctors hamstrung in relief efforts

MARILYNN MARCHIONE

Associated Press


BATON ROUGE, La. - ...

Among the doctors stymied from helping out are 100 surgeons and paramedics in a state-of-the-art mobile hospital marooned in rural Mississippi.

"We have tried so hard to do the right thing. It took us 30 hours to get here," said one of the frustrated surgeons, Dr. Preston "Chip" Rich of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. That government officials can't straighten out the mess and get them assigned to a relief effort now that they're just a few miles away "is just mind-boggling," he said in a phone interview.
...
Next door in Mississippi, the North Carolina mobile hospital waiting to help also offered impressive state-of-the-art medical care. It was developed with millions of tax dollars through the Office of Homeland Security after 9-11. With capacity for 113 beds, it is designed to handle disasters and mass casualties.

Equipment includes ultrasound, digital radiology, satellite Internet, and a full pharmacy, enabling doctors to do most types of surgery in the field, including open-chest and abdominal operations.

It travels in a convoy that includes two 53-foot trailers, which on Sunday afternoon was parked on a gravel lot 70 miles north of New Orleans because Louisiana officials for several days would not let them deploy to the flooded city, Rich said.

Yet plans to use the facility and its 100 health professionals were hatched days before Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, doctors in the caravan said.

Regarding the Red Cross not being in New Orleans,

from:http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html

Disaster FAQs
Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans?


Access to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.

The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city.

...

I don't know the date this page was posted, but I've been seeing references to it in various blogs since last wedneday or thursday It has been updated recently, because it did, when I first saw, it named the representative of the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security they were in contact with.
 
Alex756 said:
You are correct, WH. The 1000 are in addition to the 32 teams already in place, they were volunteers as well NOT first responders.

You misread my post. I mistyped the the number of beds the mobile hospital could support and didn't know if the hospital was considered one of the 32 first response teams or not.

The 1,000 claims processers are definitely not part of the first response effort.
 
Very little has been said about the New Orleans evacuation plan that wasn't even used, from what I've heard. I heard Rush Limbaugh read from it Tuesday. I also saw ABC evening news reading from it and also NBC evening news talking about it on their Tuesday evening broadcasts.

The plan states that the mayor to put the evacuation plan into motion...it mentions specifically to begin the evacuation 72 hours beforehand, in the event of a category 3 hurricane. It mentions the 72 hours is accounting for traffic jams and other congestion as people exit the city, giving them sufficient time to get out.

It also mentions paths to be taken and that those paths will have all lanes routed as exit lanes, to help the evacuation progress. I know this happened, because I saw it. I don't remember if it was 72 hours before Katrina hit or not.

The evacuation plan goes on to mention those who won't have their own transportation out of the city and those who are crippled and won't be able to travel unassisted and without necessary oxygen or medications and that buses will be used to get them out. It even mentions people who don't have TVs or telephones and how to contact them because they might not even be aware the mandatory evacuation has begun.

From what I could see (and I'm no expert on evacuation plans) it seemed very well thought out and even took into account those who would not want to evacuate and leave their homes, thinking they would be returning in only a few hours or at most a day to find their homes looted of possessions.

But, what I don't understand is what happened to this plan? Did anyone see city buses going into the city to pick up the people and take them out? And something else that bothered me was the sight of row after row of school buses that were sitting still parked and unused, after the levees had broken. The buses were in at least 4-5 feet of water and useless at that point.

It seems to me that if there had been an evacuation plan going on, those buses could have been used to get people out. If you ask me, that would fall under the mayor's watch. The number of buses I saw would surely have evacuated and thus saved a lot of lives. But, they just sat there.

The national news media just glossed over this. Sure, they mentioned the buses and the evacuation plan, but didn't investigate why those buses were not used. I'm not pointing fingers but if you ask me, it seems like someone in the mayor's office dropped the ball. Who better than the city officials knew of the evacuation plan and also that those buses would be there?

I saw the buses on national NBC news footage. I sure would like to find a picture of them now...on some news media web site, perhaps. Anybody know where one could be?
 
Weird Harold said:
I mistyped the capacity of the hospital -- see the following excerpt from the AP story that appeared on numerous news sites Sep 4th and 5th:



Regarding the Red Cross not being in New Orleans,



I don't know the date this page was posted, but I've been seeing references to it in various blogs since last wedneday or thursday It has been updated recently, because it did, when I first saw, it named the representative of the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security they were in contact with.

Again, there is no State department of homeland security. There is the Sheriff's department, the city police department, and the SBI. Anyone else is used to following federal orders.

I think more investigation is needed on these allegations. Who made this order? Was it the governor or was it FEMA?

States are ill-equipped for dealing with disasters of this magnitude. They rely on feds to come to the rescue.
 
Couture said:
Again, there is no State department of homeland security. There is the Sheriff's department, the city police department, and the SBI. Anyone else is used to following federal orders.

I think more investigation is needed on these allegations. Who made this order? Was it the governor or was it FEMA?

States are ill-equipped for dealing with disasters of this magnitude. They rely on feds to come to the rescue.

This is incorrect

Here is the web page for the The Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/

THESE are the people the red cross said stopped them.

edited to include:

This is great, here is a quote form their site.



-Alex
In the spring of 2002 LHLS & EP moved to a new facility, located in the Independence Boulevard area. The expanded capabilities that the new location provides, further enhances the Agency's mission readiness and ability to protect the citizens of Louisiana.



Effective communication and partnerships with the Military Department in New Orleans, the Governor's Office, the Legislature, our Congressional staff, State officials, Parish and City officials, Parish Emergency Directors, individual citizens and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has improved greatly since 1990.
 
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Alex756 said:
This is incorrect

Here is the web page for the The Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/

THESE are the people the red cross said stopped them.

edited to include:

This is great, here is a quote form their site.



-Alex

And a reporter's calls to them were escalated to the federal level. State employees fall under homeland security in our state as well. The National Guard is shared by both the feds and state gov't. Who makes the call when all hell is breaking loose?

I would like to find out just as much as anyone who made these orders. I'm just saying it isn't exactly clear when people are working for two bosses.

I do remember watching the emergency unfold on CNN. I do remember frantic calls from the mayor. I do remember the governor asking for help for those flooded. I also remember a FEMA spokesperson stating that all these troops and vehicles were on the way - but wouldn't give a timeline as to when they would arrive. Did they say then that they weren't allowed to go in? No. Where was the President when all this was going down? On vacation and then in San Diego.

Well friends, the buck stops there. The governor and mayor did ask for Federal help. Now all of a sudden all these people are coming up with these stipulations.... I don't know the answer, but it seems a little fishy..that's all. I hope they investigate and get to the bottom of things.
 
Couture said:
And a reporter's calls to them were escalated to the federal level. State employees fall under homeland security in our state as well. The National Guard is shared by both the feds and state gov't. Who makes the call when all hell is breaking loose?

I would like to find out just as much as anyone who made these orders. I'm just saying it isn't exactly clear when people are working for two bosses.

Two intersting links here:

First an Op-Ed piece ontheimportnace of the Chain of Command:
http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050907-095010-4802r.htm
The National Guard also refused -- not least because Mr. Nagin has no authority to order Guardsmen to do anything. Mr. Nagin's order on Tuesday was directed to police, firefighters, the National Guard and "any branch of the U.S. military" in the city to "compel the evacuation of all persons... regardless of whether such persons are on private property or do not desire to leave." The National Guard is under the command of Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, not of the mayor. Citing the chain of command from Mrs. Blanco, the Guard pointedly declined unless the governor issued the order.

An official of the U.S. Army Northern Command, Lt. Gen. Joseph Inge, said that federal military forces would not be involved in "a law enforcement issue," that his troops instead "will continue to search and rescue. We will support the evacuation of survivors. We will transport and distribute relief supplies: ice, food, water and, of course medical supplies." But it would not participate in Mr. Nagin's mandatory evacuation order unless expressly ordered to do so by the governor.

Second, an account atributed as "Newhouse News Service (NNS) - Sep 6, 2005" by Google's news search function but not dated internally:
http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/walsh090605.html
...
Friday night, the White House moved to take charge of all the troops massing in Louisiana. At home, Blanco received a memorandum of understanding from the White House asking her to cede control over the National Guard. According to her staff, Blanco was asked to sign and return the document right away. Blanco consulted with her legal counsel, Terry Ryder, and then refused the request.

"They wanted to take over my National Guard,'' Blanco said in an interview. "A governor has to have the final say on what's going to happen.''

Bartlett said the request was made for efficiency's sake to streamline the chain of command. He dismissed suggestions that it was done because Blanco is a Democrat.

"We were in the same discussions with (Republican Mississippi Gov.) Haley Barbour,'' Bartlett said. "This was not about politics.''
...

I leave any conclusions about who is telling the LA National Guard units to block anyone from coming into New Orleans to you. I think my conclusionis fairly clear already.
 
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