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Hurricane Katrina: A Failure in New Orleans LA

© Kirk Lindstrom

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More information on Hurricane Katrina

What Took So Long to Get Aid to People in New Orleans Louisiana?

After Hurricane Katrina left 80% of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana under water thousands of people were seen on TV suffering for days while waiting for food, water and evacuation to a facility with sanitary facilities. What took so long for them to get help? We have been debating this question in our "Political Discussion - A Place to "duke it out" Forum here as Suite101.com. I like that discussion forum because we have knowledgeable people from all over the United States participating.

Looking for Answers

I'd like to know the answers to several questions:

1. Why was the New Orleans Superdome considered a "refuge of last resort" yet the city didn't have supplies stored there for refugees?

2. Who does the Louisiana National Guard report to? What kept them from rolling in with food for their own people on day one after the hurricane passed?

3. Why were New Orleans Police seen looting and watching people looting? Who was giving them orders? The buck stops at the Mayor for any city police force.

4. Where was the Mayor of New Orleans while the TV stations were showing people in need of aid? Why was he not making a fuss on TV and providing leadership like we saw from Rudy Giuliani hours after the 9/11 attack?

5. The Coast Guard is a Federal organization. Why were they on the scene right away but not the other organizations? The president declared NOLA a disaster area before the storm hit so it seems he at least authorized the expenditure of dollars BEFORE needed. Why did the other organizations like FEMA and National Guard from other states delay delivering aid?

6. Why didn't the military drop food (MRE's) as soon as it was safe to fly? I hear stories of how this or that person was on the phone but they didn't get the job done. The governor of Louisiana is responsible for getting AID to her state. If is slow in coming, then why didn't she call California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and ask him to call the FEMA people "Girly Men" to get the job done? If Arnold here in California doesn't get what he wants, he goes straight to the people and press and makes noise.