The magnitude of Hurricane Katrina does not excuse our inadequate preparedness and response, but rather it must serve as a catalyst for far-reaching reform and transformation. The Waterford nuclear power plant was also shut down on Sunday, August 28, in anticipation of Katrina's arrival. But the arena quickly proved inadequate for dealing with thousands of evacuees. The catastrophe occurred at a time when the US government was emphasizing the need for disaster preparedness. CDC Director at the time Dr. Julie Gerberding asked the CDC Foundation to activate its Emergency Response Fund to support CDC teams deployed to flooded communities and evacuee shelters on the Gulf Coast. [18] This decision was preceded by many different positions of members of the House of Representatives, which are outlined below. What is most disturbing, however, are all the reasons for which it did not. Throughout the tracking of Hurricane Katrina, the NHC's forecasts were very consistent and provided strong evidence for the intensity and power of the storm. “Hurricane Pam” exercise resulted in draft plans beginning in early 2005, they were incomplete when Katrina hit. This decision was preceded by many different positions of members of the House of Representatives, which are outlined below. Nonetheless, some estimates claimed that 90-92% of the 1.3 million residents of the New Orleans metropolitan region evacuated including 80% of Orleans parish. 9 September 2005. facebook icon. On Wednesday, a House Select Committee issued a report on its investigations into the government’s preparations and response to Hurricane Katrina. testimony before a hearing on Hurricane Katrina: Preparedness and Response by the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, and the National Guard of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, on October 7, 005, House Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina, 09th Congress, st session: 74. Evan Thomas. To do this, we must understand Hurricane Katrina in its proper context. Since the storm surge produced by the hurricane's right-front quadrant (containing the strongest winds) was more than 20 ft (6 m) near Biloxi, emergency management officials in New Orleans feared that the storm surge could go over the tops of levees protecting the city, causing major flooding. This has to do with the difference in the federal government and who was president at the time. Also FEMA's participation has a very big impact, New Jersey had the disaster declaration that eliminates FEMA's role in the immediate response to the hurricane. Preparations, expectations, operational specifics and lessons learned from three of the Houston-area agencies responding to Hurricane Harvey: … He called for action from his fellow representatives that there must be an acceptance of the Executive Branch's powers to investigate what went wrong in the response to Hurricane Katrina. Shelters were opened and schools closed in several counties in the southern part of the state. Engineer David Schultz at Northwestern University says the means of communications must be survivable. So, it's possible, but raising the city would cost more than to build the levees," he says. Restructure so there's a better focus on infrastructure.". Now-retired Corp engineer Claude Strauser says those structures were limited to the specifications that governments had requested. More than 80,000 people were homeless at the time. and the accompanying storm surge it created as high as 27 feet along a stretch of the Northern Gulf Coast from Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans, impacted nearly 93,000 square miles of our Nation—roughly They attach As the annual harvest begins, much of the country is facing the worst drought in 20 years. To do this, we must understand Hurricane Katrina in its proper context. They gave their perspectives on a variety of issues why a Congressional Committee was an inadequate idea. "The emergency communications system is clearly going to have to be 'hardened up.' • The preparation and response to Hurricane Katrina are similar to lessons learned from past catastrophic disasters. Many observers, including Joe Schofer at Northwestern University, say another imperative for coping with future disasters is making sure that federal, state and local officials can quickly gather and share information to take the right actions. zStorm surge of 33 Feet. Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned was the product of an extensive review led by the president's Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend. While it is true that the authorities of the city and state government were mainly in charge of moving people to safety, Hurricane Pam's disaster plan noted that there was a scarcity of resources in support shelters for the state of Louisiana. This is the big lesson of Katrina: People will always have to deal with unavoidable natural disasters, but a poor government reaction and preparation can lead to … CSX Transportation also suspended service south of Montgomery, Alabama until further notice. Now, those who help feed the world and those who carry food to market are trying to rebuild their industries. ", "The Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina", "Should a Congressional Committee Be Established to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina? Countries around the world have contributed personnel and relief supplies. : 2006-0164-P. "February 15, 2006." Some have called for future disasters to be put under complete federal control, perhaps designating a so-called "disaster czar" who would direct each element ofthe response. The two offices work hand in hand with one another to ensure the most accurate information is released to the public. After the response to Katrina … During Hurricane Katrina's landfall, the NHC's implementation and execution of policies was seen as excellent by many government emergency officials. Preparations for Hurricane Katrina This article covers the details of the Preparations for Hurricane Katrina, a major category 5 hurricane that devastated parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The department's chief spokesman says existing laws are 'antiquated,' and caused problems in responding to a disaster in which local governments became &…, Tropical Storm Ophelia has headed northward, as residents of coastal North and South Carolina assess damage from the slow-moving storm. The tragic loss of life and human suffering in Katrina’s wake would have been sufficient in themselves to compel the Committee’s attention. The southbound Crescent from New York City, for the same period, terminated in Atlanta, with the corresponding northbound trains originating in Atlanta as well. Others contend that since many parts of New Orleans are well below sea level, the city should be raised with mountains of dirt and rock. 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