NPR's step by step breakdown of NOLA disaster
motown67
4,513 Posts
Anyone catch Fresh Air Today on NPR? If you didn't it'll probably be replayed a couple times at least on the West Coast.They had a step by step breakdown of the plans and failures of the Katrina relief effort. Overall, the Feds fucked the hell up, and the Governor of LA screwed up once as well. I can't remember all of the details but the main one I do are the following:1) Before Katrina hit, local, state and federal officials were meeting around the clock to plan disaster relief.2) They had 3 systems of communication set up, 1 land lines 2 cell phones 3 a special land line hotline. When Katrina hit, all 3 went down cutting off most of the areas hit from authorities3) New Mexico offered to send in their National Guard before Katrina hit and had their troops packed and ready to go. On the day Katrina hit they asked if they could be sent in, but the National Guard HQ in Washington D.C. said they couldn't go until a command system and plan was set up. They didn't get the OK until Thursday and didn't arrive until Friday!4) The day Katrina hit, local authorities in New Orleans like Parish presidents put in all the orders for supplies and relief that they had planned for before the storm hit. Federal officials said everything they asked for was coming. The messages never made it past that first level however because of communication breakdowns due to Katrina and bureaucracy. 5) Washington D.C. and especially the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA become completely cut off from what is going on in the South, again, because of communication breakdowns and bureaucracy. Head of Homeland Security goes on the air (think it was NPR) and says he's heard nothing about people at the New Orleans convention center when there were thousands there with no food and help. George Bush says that head of FEMA is doing a great job when FEMA hasn't sent in anything yet!6) FEMA breaksdown when delivering relief. A company contracted to delivery ice and water sends in its truck the day of the hurrican. FEMA send them to the wrong spot in Mississippi! No one's there so they just give stuff away to whoever is there. By Friday and Saturday they STILL don't have any direction from FEMA. A truckload of ice and water arrives at the Superdome and there's no one there to unload it. The ice sits in the heat and melts.7) 2 or 3 days after Katrina hits, Washington refuses to send in troops or relief because they say local officials haven't asked for it yet. Actually they did the day Katrina hit, the messages never got through though!8) Bush lands in New Orleans a couple days after Katrina and tells the Governor of LA that he'll send in troops but they have to be under Federal control. The Governor says she has to think about it for 24 hours! I don't think the report said how long she took to decide but the troops are sent in the next day.9) Police communication completely breaks down in New Orleans and most other areas hit by the storm and they can't even use their car radios. So many are sent out looking for survivors that places like the Superdome in New Orleans and most of the streets are left completely empty and the reports of rapes, murders, etc. start rolling in. There was a lot more but I'm just typing this off my head from memory. Someone should do a search and find the actual report on line and post it. I would but I gotta cook dinner for the family right now.
Comments
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4838956
All Things Considered also explored the same topic -
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4839943
Some people have a hard on for NPR. I remember the day O-Dub was on the air a few weeks ago there was a thread with people ...eh, expressing their 'dislike' with the news.
Now, I WANT TO SEE SOME MOTHERFUCKING HEADS ROLL
If the people responsible for letting this happen aren't held accountable I don't know what the fuck I'm gonna do.