The Katrina Timeline
To mark the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the White House is planning a “public relations blitz” to counteract criticism that it bears some responsibility for “the government’s tardy response and the region’s slow recovery.” It started when the President met with a Katrina victim (later exposed as a right-wing political activist) who said, “I just wish the President could have another term in office.”
ThinkProgress is counteracting the spin with hard facts. We’ve created a Katrina timeline that documents all the key events over the last year — from the hurricane’s landing to today. Check it out HERE.
If there is something important we missed, let us know in the comments section or send us an email.
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Very exhaustive - nice job guys.
August 25th, 2006 at 10:41 am“The Katrina Timeline”? Has anyone been to Louisiana recently?
The ‘timeline’ of progress is Louisiana is more of a dot.
August 25th, 2006 at 10:45 amDoes my PSP make me a terrorist?
August 25th, 2006 at 10:49 amGood work,Think Progress.
August 25th, 2006 at 10:50 amI want George W. Bush to be permanant King of the World. Please annoint my head with your holiness, King George.
-GOP operative, failed political candidate, and wealthy white business owner/victim of hurricane Katrina, Rocky Vaccarello
-GSD
Way to go TP.
August 25th, 2006 at 10:56 amMy boss, who is pretty conservative, went to NO for the jazz fest in May. She was horrified and depressed for days after because she couldn’t believe the condition of things down there. Frankly, if Bush wants to mark the anniversary, fine, I just hope there are some local activists who are prepared to confront him on the lack of progress in rebuilding despite the enormous amount of taxpayer money Bush has thrown at the problem without requiring any accountability or progress.
August 25th, 2006 at 10:58 amI would like to add one thing.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:01 amAs of right now, with all the money appropriated to the Gulf area by Congress to help rebuild the area, not a single house has yet been rebuilt with any of that money. It has not yet reached the people who need it.
The amount of federal aid giving to New Orleans currently stands at roughly $400,000 per family. That is more then enough for each family to rebuild there home and then go build a second home. How much more cash do we need to bleed the tax payers for?
August 25th, 2006 at 11:05 amThis could be a great opportunity to expose the graft rampant in the administration’s Katrina relief “efforts”. If they want a PR blitz, let’s take them on.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:06 amGreat timeline.
Maybe I missed it, but is there a link to that briefing (teleconference) with Bush simply listening (not questioning) then giving the ‘get you everything you need’ pep talk? If I am recalling correctly, this happened well before the actual Katrina event itself (the weekend of the 26th maybe?).
Keep up the great work - I’ll be sending this link around…
August 25th, 2006 at 11:08 amGreat Job tp……
August 25th, 2006 at 11:14 amThe amount of federal aid giving to New Orleans currently stands at roughly $400,000 per family. That is more then enough for each family to rebuild there home and then go build a second home.
Problem is, the money wasn’t given to the families directly. It was paid to hotels and contractors (does anyone know how much money Halliburton got?) The difficulty is that BushCo hasn’t held anyone accountable for the money. Perhaps if BushCo had done some kind of, oh, I don’t know planning, perhaps some homes would have been rebuilt, and they could have gotten the refrigerators out of the trees by now. This is what happens when you elect a government who doesn’t believe in government.
Even “Rockey,” the GOP activist, who drove his FEMA-like trailer all the way to DC to thank Bush for all he’s done, and he’s still living in a trailer? Does “Rockey” not believe in personal responsibilty? He looks like he could get a job and rebuild without the help of the government just fine, instead he’s become a welfare queen.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:18 amThat’s a great picture. Truly.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:19 amOh, and let’s not forget how Cheney got to take advantage of the temporary IRS tax break for charitable contributions even though he donated no money for Katrina relief.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:19 amBushCo should be forced to have this photo in each administration person’s office. A young girl holding the hand of an elderly woman, being pushed in the wheelchair by a first responder (policeman). True compassion and helping comes from actually reaching out and lovingly TOUCHING a fellow human being, not just being in the neighborhood. BushCo never rolled up their sleeves, touched the lives of the victims, and made a difference.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:23 am#8 could you please show where you got that figure? How was/is this money distributed? Does that figure account for the instant bump from $2,500 to $25,000 on the credit cards for the FEMA reps in the area?
Using your logic, the billions spent in Iraq should supply every Iraqi family with a new home, new car and a fridge(new) full of the favorite treats. Why hasn’t that happend then?
August 25th, 2006 at 11:23 am#8 Roger-Roger, please read #7 again and again untill it sink’s in………
August 25th, 2006 at 11:25 ama public relations campaign to make it look like they did anything is quite disgusting
August 25th, 2006 at 11:27 amthis is perhaps the least human thing I can remember. this week.
they will spend several million making themselves look good, instead of putting the money where it will help the affected
Roger_Roger
August 25th, 2006 at 11:28 amAre you kidding!!?? Your “calculations” ignore the costs of cleaning up (private and public land) which were enormous. BTW, do you have any source for how much money and how many families involved in your calculations.
Thanks TP for the sobering reminders in the timeline.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:32 amOh I fully understand that the families didn’t get the money. It was my point actually. This isn’t a federal issue. The fed large Bueracracy just wastes time and lots of tax payer dollars while the local problem doesn’t get fixed.
Bush should have came out immediately and demanded that local officials get there act together. The local officials to this point haven’t done one thing since they are still in begger mode. Bush should have notified them immediately that the feds wouldn’t be giving much aid in the form of cash as it is there problem.
Hell, don’t the Dems think that global warming will increase sea levels anyways? Why do you guys and gals want to pay to rebuild houses on land that will be part of the sea in the next few years? One more reason that the local community should handle there problem. Mississippi is doing a fine job. You don’t hear them whining.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:54 amRoger-Roger, remember that the giant and beaureaucratic Dept. Of Homeland Security was created by Bush and his all Republican congress.
Great work.
-GSD
August 25th, 2006 at 11:58 am#21 The Local agencies were decimated. Of course it is a Federal issue. What does the first letter in FEMA stand for? They all need to work to together and when such total destruction occours anywhere in this country it becomes the couontry’s problem, not just the local.
Nobody’s whining. That is one of the more asinine verbal farts to be uttered.
August 25th, 2006 at 12:02 pmOh I fully understand that the families didn’t get the money. It was my point actually. This isn’t a federal issue. The fed large Bueracracy just wastes time and lots of tax payer dollars while the local problem doesn’t get fixed.
It was a federal issue when hurricanes went through Florida. The federal government got that fixed up pretty well - even gave money to people who didn’t live in the area hit by the hurricane (so generous!) - of course, that was an election year, 2004, and we all know how important the Florida vote was.
August 25th, 2006 at 12:08 pmOh I fully understand that the families didn’t get the money. It was my point actually. This isn’t a federal issue. The fed large Bueracracy just wastes time and lots of tax payer dollars while the local problem doesn’t get fixed.
Since most (if not all) of the damage was caused by federallevees that were breached or broke, you can be damned sure that it’s the Federal government’s responsibility to provide everything it can to rebuild New Orleans and the surrounding areas. You’re just using Republican talking points again, blaming state and local agencies instead of putting the responsibility (and the failure) where it belongs - on the Bush administration’s shoulders. It is devastating to me, as an American, that my fellow citizens in Louisiana are still suffering because of the incompetence and downright callousness of this administration, and my fervent hope is that the Dems use this, and Iraq, over and over and over to highlight just how toxic and dangerous BushCo is.
August 25th, 2006 at 12:29 pmFederal levees, I might add, that were never properly constructed in the first place (according to an Army Corps of Engineers report that came out after Katrina). Everyone knew that something like this would happen in the event of a Cat 4 or 5 hurricane - everyone. For the administration to claim otherwise is utter nonsense.
August 25th, 2006 at 12:33 pmThanks for the info. I am sure it is just a coincidence that after being warned there were only supplies for 36 hours Bush waited 72 hours to call a meeting.
August 25th, 2006 at 12:51 pm[…] In his usual manner, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is pissed. Specifically, he’s pissed that nothing’s happening. Not in New York, not in New Orleans, apparently. But he says he’s doing a better job than New York. I live nearby and I haven’t seen them do a single thing at the WTC site in 4 months. I’d say he’s right. And I still really want to see that Spike Lee film. […]
August 25th, 2006 at 1:02 pm“The Bush administration, citing the confidentiality of executive branch communications, said Tuesday that it did not plan to turn over certain documents about Hurricane Katrina or make senior White House officials available for sworn testimony before two Congressional committees investigating the storm response.â€
Just one more example of the administration flipping off Congress.
August 25th, 2006 at 1:18 pmWell done, TP.
August 25th, 2006 at 1:53 pmThink Progress,
Under September 15th, you need to add that 1) Bush and friend brought in a large amount of genreators for the Jackson Square photo-op and then took those generators with them when they left.
You could also mention that Bushes ‘blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up” was buttoned crooked, because he was in a hurry to put on his “blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up” so that it would look like he was “working hard”
August 25th, 2006 at 2:11 pmSince most (if not all) of the damage was caused by federallevees that were breached or broke, you can be damned sure that it’s the Federal government’s responsibility to provide everything it can to rebuild New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
Which is the real “Inconvienent truth” of this whole matter! Years of FEDERAL money being flushed down the toilet of New Orleans. Hey, that was my money. The stories of corruption and fraud for years in La. are legend. I know I won’t vote for Bush again because of this!
August 25th, 2006 at 2:39 pmYup! Hyuck, a thurd turm for prezidunce George. Ain’t no constertwoshunal issues hear! Keep up the good wurk hucksters, yer doin a heckuva snow job!
August 25th, 2006 at 2:59 pmThis story was on NPR in November 2005. However, the subject matter predates Katrina by almost year, and is pretty relevant to the levee failure, in that it discusses possible warning signs of poor soil quality under the levee walls. I have not seen it mentioned elsewhere.
August 25th, 2006 at 3:04 pmAt the very top of the list, add a link to Sly Bluementhal’s report “No one can say they didn’t see it coming”. (Link: http://dir.salon.com/ story/ opinion/ blumenthal/ 2005/ 08/ 31/ disaster_preparation/ index.html) He quotes of 2001 FEMA warning that a hurricane hitting New Orleans was one of the three most likely disasters in this country.
August 25th, 2006 at 4:08 pmSorry, I meant Syd, not Sly.
August 25th, 2006 at 4:17 pmKRosen,
If al Qaeda was the second most likely disaster to hit America, what is the third.
August 25th, 2006 at 4:30 pmSee also the post at Jesus General (http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/) for August 22nd, entitled “This week in genocide (Aug. 29-Sept. 4 2005). Pictures speak a thousand words.
Spudge_Boy, your answer is here: http://www.hurricane.lsu.edu/_in_the_news/houston.htm (An earthquake in SF)
August 25th, 2006 at 4:55 pmKRosen,
That’s right, I forgot.
August 25th, 2006 at 5:01 pmTwo significant points missed:
1) Nagin declaring a state of emergency and issuing a call for voluntary evacuation on Saturday 27 August 1. (I think this has sometimes been neglected due to confusion with the mandetory evacuation order the following day.)
2)At the nationally televised briefing on Wednesday 31 August, presided over by Michael Chertoff: An emergency waiver of fuel and emissions standards in response to the disaster. 2 (As an evacuee glued to the tv news, this was the first Federal response to the disaster I saw any evidence of.)
August 25th, 2006 at 5:41 pmOh and… Transcript of the 31 Aug 2005 EPA announcement. Now that’s “Compassionate Conservativism”, no? All those folks down along the Gulf Coast were apparently in desperate need of more sulphur in the air they breathe.
August 25th, 2006 at 5:59 pmI sent this in this morning; unfortunately Think Progress hasn’t seen fit to add these significant events to their timeline:
Tuesday, August 30, 12:45 p.m.: Cuba contacts the U.S. State Department and offers to send no less than 1,100 full-equipped and disaster-trained doctors to the Gulf Coast immediately (within 24 hours).
Friday, Sept. 2: Cuba reiterates its offer publicly on Cuban television.
(Link: http://lefti.blogspot.com/ 2005_09_01_lefti_archive.html#112570619924445561 for both of the above)
Sunday, Sept. 4: Cuban President Fidel Castro speaks before a group of 1586 Cuban medical personnal (up from 1100) who have volunteered to serve on the Gulf Coast, and who are fully equipped and ready to go. MSNBC becomes the first U.S. network to make note of the Cuban offer.
(Link: http://lefti.blogspot.com/ 2005_09_01_lefti_archive.html#112595107131810879)
Tuesday, Sept. 7: Cuban offer is brought up at a State Department press briefing. Press officer McCormack hems and haws.
(Link: http://lefti.blogspot.com/ 2005_09_01_lefti_archive.html#112611824333828869)
Wednesday, Sept. 7: A prominent U.S. medical group urges the U.S. government to accept the Cuban offer, saying there is a clear need for more medical help for Katrina victims)
(Link: http://lefti.blogspot.com/ 2005_09_01_lefti_archive.html#112615176385408182)
Monday, Sept. 12: MSNBC profiles two of the Cuban doctors who are still waiting to be given permission to save lives in the United States.
(Link: http://lefti.blogspot.com/ 2005_09_01_lefti_archive.html#112658255659706063)
August 25th, 2006 at 8:03 pmI like Jon Stewart’s report that as soon as they finish recovery efforts in Lebanon, Hisbollah will start on New Orleans. Hisbollah is doing a better job than Bush’s FEMA has done.
August 25th, 2006 at 9:33 pmImpressive timeline, TP, and a stunning picture.
Please consider adding the items above to the timeline.
August 25th, 2006 at 9:54 pmIn reading this timeline involving the Hurricane Katrina tragedy and the total incompetence of the Bush administration both before, during and after, I couldn’t help but think of the debacle in Iraq, and what is unfolding as a debacle in Afghanistan.
People who hate government (and democracies) as much as neo-con Republicans do should never be allowed anywhere near any of our democratic government’s institutions, whether federal, state or local.
Their utter contempt for our government not only precipitates, but facilitates disasters that harm tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people, both domestic and foreign.
And they are all liars like George W. Bush, who has proven, time after time, that when he swore to uphold the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights…HE WAS LYING. Just like all the other neo-con Republicans who swore the same oath, but were also lying.
Reality-challenged people like the neo-con Republicans are a “clear and present danger” to our national security, our domestic tranquility and the freedom and economic livelihood (as well as lives) of all U.S. citizens.
The neo-con Republicans are dangerous fools with a fantasy foreign policy and suicidal domestic policy. Which makes me wonder, especially after Iraq and Katrina, why anyone would ever trust such dangerous fools, especially with the future of their own children at stake? Oh wait, that’s right, the Republicans who blindly follow the neo-con Republicans are just as reality challenged as the neo-con Republicans…and easily seduced by the lies of the neo-con Republicans. Such a pity.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:05 pm[…] 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).[/blockquote]read more | digg story Bookmark this article:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. […]
August 26th, 2006 at 1:51 am[…] read more | digg story […]
August 26th, 2006 at 3:48 am[…] To mark the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the White House is planning a “public relations blitz” to counteract the charges that it bears some responsibility for the reconstruction mess. This timeline counteracts the spin with facts, documenting all the key events over the last year.read more | digg story Digg this […]
August 26th, 2006 at 7:36 amBlanco’s State of Emergency link is broken. You can find it link
August 26th, 2006 at 10:08 amGeorge Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People
August 26th, 2006 at 10:52 amhttp://www.brasscheck.com/ videos/ neworleans/ neworleans5.html
The Lower Ninth Ward, NO… One Year Later…
http://www.brasscheck.com/ videos/ neworleans/ neworleans6.html
August 26th, 2006 at 11:33 am[…] To mark the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the White House is planning a “public relations blitz” to counteract the charges that it bears some responsibility for the reconstruction mess. This timeline counteracts the spin with facts, documenting all the key events over the last year.read more | digg story […]
August 26th, 2006 at 12:34 pmNew Orleans is Dead. Remember the Mississippi Coast?
August 26th, 2006 at 1:58 pmSo Ray Nagin waited until Katrina was declared a Category 5 hurricane to issue a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans - a city at (and under) sea level? Wow….I thought there was someone REALLY stupid behind the poor planning and inept evac plan….WHEW!!!
FYI-Dear Prog whiners, While you are busy whining about what HAS NOT been done or rebuilt, please take a moment and consider how long it takes for a home…or a block of homes to be constructed or renovated - - when the supplies are not right THERE. Never one to be confused with logistics, I applaud your “We HATE GWB” consistency!!!
August 26th, 2006 at 2:42 pmWhat a beautiful, yet sad picture.
August 26th, 2006 at 2:52 pmYou say “bush was warned levees would fail,” but then in the text the guy just says “levees may be topped.”
August 26th, 2006 at 5:33 pmOhhh, topped is not a failure. Got it.
August 26th, 2006 at 8:08 pmI want to respond to MA and her stupid comments but I would be breaking my promise to myself.
August 26th, 2006 at 8:09 pmGoerge Bush is a disgrace to the united states. He was off having a grand old time, while people died, in America.
August 26th, 2006 at 11:20 pmI would argue that this timeline isn’t complete. It needs to begin with Joe Lieberman’s 42 minute hearing, confirming Michael Brown.
Instead of the Bush boot licking, this should have been Lieberman’s response:
August 27th, 2006 at 1:07 amIt’s time we held our own accountable too. Let’s begin with Lieberman. Had he not pushed for Fema to be under Fatherland Security, this entire clusterphuck might not have been as severe.
Did anyone else notice that the White House’s Katrina declaration of 8/27/05 posted in your timeline seems to have the wrong counties in Louisiana listed as being eligible for federal assistance? The listed counties are all to the north and west of NOLA. Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines etc are NOT listed. There are two issues:
August 27th, 2006 at 5:38 pmFirst, this is just another example of utter imcompetence in this Administration. Any fool can look up a Louisiana map by counties and get it right. It seems the WH just didn’t bother.
Second, were any federal responses delayed because of this mistake? Did anyone who needed to respond hesitate until this was clarified. It seems that it was never corrected because the same letter is still posted today. Right state, wrong counties.
Louisiana, Correcting A Perception
First, please, would someone consult at least one reference site BEFORE speaking/posting about Louisiana? Three of the last six governors of Louisiana going back to 1980 have been Republican, three Democratic.
http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/gov-1877.htm
One of our two Senators is Republican, one Democratic. Five in our seven-member Congressional delegation are Republican, two Democratic.
http://www.opensecrets.org/ states/ delegatn.asp?State=LA&Year=2004
The state is certainly not “liberal” as detractors seem to want to put forward. We are a “Red” state. For heavens sake, VP Cheney hunts here with Justice Scalia!
Ray Nagin was elected by a white/business majority in his first mayoral race and supported by national Republicans in his re-election campaign.Gov. Blanco is not a liberal Democrat either. The vast majority of elected politicians here would agree with Bush administration positions far more often than not. They must to survive politically.
There seems to be a concerted effort as we approach the first anniversary of the devastation that FOLLOWED Hurricane Katrina to portray the Mississippi (read: Republican) recovery as successful and the Louisiana (read: Democratic) recovery as not. Talk to Mississippi Gulf Coast homeowners. Neither state is a shining light in the wealthiest nation ever to exist.
I have to go back to my stance from September, 2005. There was plenty of blame to go ’round following the largest natural disaster in US history. All levels of government failed to react efficiently and effectively.
Please, please, though, consider (1) when you look at the taxes you pay, doesn’t the largest percentage by far go to the federal government and (2) that the devastation was in Louisiana, not in Washington, DC. We lost communications and other infrastructure following the storms. Our tax base was deeply wounded along with the public buildings. Our people were scattered by choice (those who evacuated) and by necessity (those who were finally transported out) to the far reaches of this country.
Ask yourself, who had the capability to help in that first week after the storms? Who was actually here trying?
Please, please, please, let’s deal with facts.
August 28th, 2006 at 2:45 pm[…] read more | digg story […]
August 29th, 2006 at 9:01 am[…] Think Progress […]
August 29th, 2006 at 5:02 pmYou might enjoy this bit of Condoleezza asleep at the switch during Katrina humor:
August 29th, 2006 at 5:06 pmhttp://theointment.com/?m=20060829
What time did WWL radio’s signal go out? Didn’t it go out on that day?
August 29th, 2006 at 5:11 pmOn Bush’s visit to Mississippi on 8-28-2006 he just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to lie one more time. The following is an exact quote;
“I’ve been in this neighborhood before. As a matter of fact, I was here a couple of days after Katrina hit. It’s amazing, isn’t it, amazing what the world looked like then and what it looks like now.”
A “COUPLE OF DAYS, A COUPLE OF DAYS” ????? Maybe from thousands of feet in the air in the safety and airconditioned comfort of Air Force One. In fact at the exact moment he flew over thousands were still starving to death and dying from dehydration on the ground.
Isn’t it amazing the Congress could ramp up; work through the night to pass a FEDERAL LAW and Bush fly back from another Crawford vacation to sign that law which stuck a feeding tube back into ONE already dead woman in Florida. Yet, when thousands were dying in New Orleans he stayed on vacation and raised funds for the GOP.
This is the absolute worst President of my lifetime; and I grew up with Nixon!
August 29th, 2006 at 9:34 pmIt will never cease to amaze me that the republican spin machine MISSED the golden opportunity to fly Bush in on a helicopter to the Superdome and have him hand out bottled water to the folks stranded there. If he had done that, there really would be black republicans.
September 2nd, 2006 at 11:32 amAs I recall, Bush made a comment at one point re: the good times he’d had in NO when he was in college and hoped to come back and have similar times soon. Am I wrong on that? Can anyone provide it?
This is a staggering job and underscores the need for Bush’s entire organization to answer not only to Americans but frankly, to the entire world. The same group that mangled this situation is the same group keeping us in an unjust war.
September 3rd, 2006 at 9:54 amThere has been a tape surfaced that the the governor of Lousiana told the President that the levies were not breeched when they were breeched. Also there was a Email from Harry Reid that stated that the President could be embarrashed over his lack of response to Katrina.
Why had is a hard core democratic state that had a lot of poor people that they kept poor to keep their power. You had a mayor that did have buses at his disposal without fema even stepping foot in Louisana. Early on this major evacuated the bus drivers. You had people that thought that they could ride this storm out which they done numerous times. You had levies that the state govenment half fixed for years funneling the miney into to other things such as consinos. You had a national guard that the governor could have put in place. Not all the Louisanna guard were in Iraq. You had a Mississsippi governor that opened his highways up one way coming from Louisanna into mississppi. The people of Louisana was still going to ride the storm out and way for their welfare money. You can talk all you want to about the President failing. I going to tell you one thing the first people to fail those people were their major and governor. There was nol local or state leadership.
Now it is not being rebuilt for one thing it took along time for it to dry out. Then the historical society decided to fight over everything. Another thing once some of these people got out of New Orleans they decided not to go back because the way they were treated in other states. Also they realized that they could get their government dole anywhere.
Those that died were sacrificied not by the President but by their state. The first responders should have been their local but they were not. It was the federal coast guard.
They stated that the fema dirctor ordered ambulances but could not get enough. Why did not the city have ambulances and the sourrounding towns.
Another thing, they had a five day warning. Why were the bus drivers evacuated along with the mayor’s family right off the bat. It seemed to me that he left the poor to die because it was suggested by Harry Reid that if it was made to look bad. the President could be blamed. That is just what happened.
Arkansas national guard was sent down there by our governor and we out numbered them for awhile. You known Arkansas had national guard in Iraq to.
There was democratic conspiracy at the expense of the poor to make a Republican President look bad so they could get power back. If a poliical party can stoop that low as to sacrifice their poor to get power back. Is there a possibiltiy if they do not win this next time around will we have a civil war?
September 8th, 2006 at 5:37 amFOOD FOR THOUGHT. Katrina was orchastrated by The Democratic party. They had five days they could had time to cook this little plan up taking advantage of nature.
I am responding to the comment by Portia (September 8, 2006 @ 5:37 a.m.). I cannot decide whether the abysmal grammar and spelling are more disturbing than the spectacular ignorance of easily verifiable facts.
1. There was a time before the Governor knew the levees failed. It may be true that the Governor spoke to the President during that time. Whether that is true or not, it does not explain why the President did not return the Governor’s numerous phone calls after it was known that the levees had failed.
2. I agree with Harry Reid: “The President should be ashamed.”
3. Louisiana has had many Republican governors, state legislators and Federal legislators over the last few decades. It’s pretty hard to argue that the Democrats have kept the people poor, unless you want to argue that the Republicans helped them to do so. Louisiana has voted for many Republican presidents - it was a “red” state in each of the last two elections.
4. The State of Louisiana is not responsible for building or upgrading the levees. The United States Army Corps of Engineers has had that responsiblity for more than 100 years - in Louisiana, as well as in Arkansas. It is certainly impossible for the state to use Federal money to fund casinos without complicity of the Federal government.
5. The Louisiana National Guard was present in New Orleans from the very first. They were stationed in the Jackson Barracks in the Lower Ninth Ward. The Jackson Barracks has never flooded in its almost 200-year history. It flooded on August 29, 2006. They were involved in rescues and security as soon as they rescued themselves.
6. The Interstate highways leaving New Orleans in every direction - including those not going to Mississippi - were converted to one-way traffic long before the storm - perhaps Saturday, August 27. According to a long-standing agreement with Mississippi, the Mississippi Interstate highways were also so converted. More than one million people evacuated New Orleans in the most successful large-scale evacuation ever attempted. Several years before Katrina, many mistakes were made in a badly-planned and poorly-executed evacuation. The Governor of Louisiana corrected those mistakes and the Katrina evacuation was widely hailed as a model for other evacuations. Many New Orleanians who evacuated to Houston and were later threatened by Rita were horrified by the gross ineptitude of the Houston evacuation.
7. You are really quite incorrect about the lack of state leadership. State agencies prepared an operations center - before the storm hit - in Alexandria, with over 200 rescue boats. Those boats were in the water working 12-hour shifts, in New Orleans East and the Lower Ninth Ward on Monday morning, and later in Lakeview and Gentilly. The Governor was collecting busses from all over the United States as early as Monday, when it became evident that the Federal government had no plan. Yes it’s true, the Governor spoke to Michael Brown, and learned that he had no busses to send and no plans to send them. On Tuesday, the first busses attemped to enter New Orleans, but were met by thousands of evacuees walking westward. The busses began to bring those people to Baton Rouge, where the Governor had established shelters and aid stations. The state’s resources were quickly exhausted and the Federal government still failed to appear. Lieutenant Governor Landrieu - a Democrat - was personally rescuing people from the Lower Ninth Ward.
8. It is ridiculous to believe that any building would take more than 13 months to dry out. I have been in New Orleans since Katrina. It is dried-out.
9. The United States Coast Guard performed heroically and saved many Americans in New Orleans. They were not alone.
10. FEMA asked for ambulances and was told that the United States Department of Transportation “does not do ambulances.” Why did FEMA not know that they could not requisition ambulances from USDOT? Answer: Because they did not plan or prepare.
11. Harry Reid again? You really don’t know whether Harry Reid “suggested” that the mayor leave the poor to die. You’re just making that up. Adults call that sort of behavior “lying.”
12. Louisiana is very grateful for the help provided by Arkansas. I’m quite certain that the Louisiana National Guard will help Arkansas when the need arises.
13. The President makes himself look bad, a criminal conspiracy of Democrats is not necessary.
14. Five days? Do you know where the storm was five days before landfall? Do you know where landfall was predicted five days early? Do you know that five-day landfall prediction is far less than 50% accurate? I was in Florida five days before Katrina hit New Orleans - the storm a) was still in the Atlantic Ocean and Category One at that time, and b) was predicted to land between Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach.
I sincerely hope that Portia’s attitude and ignorance are not shared by more than a few Americans.
October 11th, 2006 at 7:30 pmhis is a great article. I am new to your blog and i like what I see. I look forward to your future work.
November 10th, 2006 at 4:12 amyour timeline is very factual but many have too many, It has given me the time and intreset to read it. And thank you I found it very helpful and I could find what I was lookin for right away.
November 14th, 2006 at 9:39 amI love you guys
November 14th, 2006 at 7:48 pmj/k
i dont understand what you said
People were not raped…..your timeline facts are being based on news reports like the LA times…..these reports were hearsay and were later proven incorrect…another great example of trying to place blame on President Bush…..Hey heres an idea….. leave when a hurricane is coming….MR Nagin was the mayor…. make them leave…and dont shoot, loot, steal, and bitch when people try to help.
November 16th, 2006 at 10:58 amWow. That’s really all I can say about this…what is America coming to!?!?! I can not *believe* that you people would try to pin this on Bush….he DOESN’T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE WEATHER!! What is you guys’ freakin’ problem!??! I have an idea, when you hear that a monster hurricane is coming maybe you could LEAVE. Half of what was said here isn’t true anyways…America, wake up!
December 5th, 2006 at 10:46 amHi,
I´m a 21-year-old man living in Scandinavia, in Southern Finland to be more accurate. Finland is an information society and we get news and information about the events in the world within minutes after they´ve occurred. This Louisiana-hurricane event was one of them. The very storm Katrina actually struck Finland about two weeks after it had devastated New Orleans. By then it had of course significantly weakened after having traveled thousands of miles over the cool waters of Northern Atlantic.
I just want to say that I´m very sad that your society is in such a bad condition right now. The powerkeepers fight raging wars all over the world while showing careless, almost racistic attitudes towards some of their own citizens. Democracy is a word that has lost its meaning - and I´m sorry to say, also here in Finland. People of the world are in need of a new order - one that is not achieved with war or racism, but peace, love and compassion. A beautiful day will dawn after the dark and stormy night.
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