Re: katrina aftermath

I saw an interview with one of the writers of the 2002 article series
(which won awards but got no serious attention), and he noted that one
of the Homeland security drills last summer - last summer - was a
natural disaster of this magnitude in NO, almost the exact scenario that
has occurred. So they had a (literally) dry run 12 months ago. Today one
of the army guys said they were slowed by the fact that the city is
surrounded by water. Umm, yes... Also noted in hindsight was that when
the mandatory evacuation was ordered (when was that, Saturday?), the
feds needed to have provided the bus convoys at that time to get the
city cleared. Not that everyone would have gone. I note that Fats Domino
stayed in his home, and is now missing. I do think about all the people
who are not in one of the 3 media-covered cities - how are they faring?

 
I checked out the BBC this morning, curious as to what some of the rest
of the world is hearing, and this is an interesting page of newspaper
quotes from around the world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4207542.stm
 
Things look better this afternoon with the arrival of significant armd
forces along with supplies. One hopes the water gets to people in time.
Jesse, your son is providing hope to those who are losing it, and I hope
the thanks of the people he can rescue will somehow offset the ones he
has to recover who are past help.

 
I was up in Reading PA for work this week and the gas station across
from the building where we were had regular at 2.47 Tuesday morning,
2.59 Tuesday evening, and 2.80 Wednesday morning. When I got home
Wednesday evening my town is uniformly up to 3.19 for regular, 3.50 for
super, same as today.

 
I am 5000 CHAT messages behind so forgive me if I have missed significant personal events - someday I may catch up.
 
Libby
Maryland zone 6
 
 


David Franzman <dfranzma@pacbell.net> wrote:

As far as the response to this disaster, you are right Cathy this is an 
unbelievable logistic nightmare. However, there were many things that could 
have and should have been done immediately. Things like airlifting in 
supplies, including water, food, troops etc. That's what the National Guard 
is for. Why did it take five days for those things to begin on a federal 
level? We should have had helicopters going over with loudspeakers 
reassuring people that help was on the way. Instead we got the same deer in 
the headlights look that we saw in 2001. Now today, we see the President 
going around at the same time as we see troops going to the rescue. This 
action should have begun days ago. The task is daunting but with the proper 
response initially those in power could have alleviated much of the 
uncertainty, fear and hopelessness. Lets pray that they now grasp the 
magnitude of the disaster.

David.
http://www.atouchofthetropics.net 

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