Katrina lessions learned

[Jim Cantore]

What do you think we learned from this

My thing is they waited too long to put the manditory evacuations in motion 24 hours before landfall isnt enough time to evacuate 2 million people

[Canelaw99]

I agree the mandatory evacs were put up too late. I also hope that people learned that they need to get out, even if the authorities haven't issued an evac order yet. Also, one thing I've learned is to make sure I have enough food and water for at least a week, if not more. I can deal without A/C if I have to as long as I have food and water.

[scostorms]

I agree too. Evacuation orders, manditory, should have been made way in advance. When it looked as if a cat. 3 could hit Louisiana, they should have started evacuations due to the levee can only handle up to cat 3, if I am correct. I also learned, my mother shouldn't have waited 30 years to go to New Orleans on a romantic get-away! She was looking for deals on October to go to New Orleans.

[ChaserUK]

Been thinking about this too. For sure evac's shold have been sooner. Also, for those who could not get out because they have no car for example, some kind of relief effort before the storm hits. However we have to bear in mind this really was two disasters in some ways - the hurricane then the flood. Quite difficult to plan for.

Problems I see are that although people may now listen to Mandatory Evac's more seriously, they might be put off going to large organised shelters!

[tronbunny]

Not just Katrina, but last year, too....
I learned to have supplies on hand.. be prepared for absolutely no help!
Make your own plans.. rely only upon yourself, and your own resources (kin, network of friends, local neighbors) and look after your own (as above).
By doing that, you relieve burden from someone who maybe completey incapable of self reliance.
And its all downhill from there...
meaning...
Get off your own arse and make your own bed, and don't complain about it!
Make the most out of what you do have!

[MiamiensisWx]

Good points, tronbunny.

[lwg8tr]

Not just Katrina, but last year, too....
I learned to have supplies on hand.. be prepared for absolutely no help!
Make your own plans.. rely only upon yourself, and your own resources (kin, network of friends, local neighbors) and look after your own (as above).
By doing that, you relieve burden from someone who maybe completey incapable of self reliance.
And its all downhill from there...
meaning...
Get off your own arse and make your own bed, and don't complain about it!
Make the most out of what you do have!

Amen!!! That's the lesson here. Don't be dopey and expect any governement to provide you with life saving supplies in the days following a catastrophe like this. Actually this arguement has not even been raised at all. It's all been about our government and how they should do for us.

[senorpepr]

Not just Katrina, but last year, too....
I learned to have supplies on hand.. be prepared for absolutely no help!
Make your own plans.. rely only upon yourself, and your own resources (kin, network of friends, local neighbors) and look after your own (as above).
By doing that, you relieve burden from someone who maybe completey incapable of self reliance.
And its all downhill from there...
meaning...
Get off your own arse and make your own bed, and don't complain about it!
Make the most out of what you do have!

Thank you!!! I wish more people would read and heed these words. Over the past few days, one of the things that have bothered me (besides the criminal activity) has been the amount of people who didn't take the threat seriously, but could have, and now are demanding help. C'mon folks. At some point we have to learn to accept some responsbility. This is exactly why we stress having a plan before the season begins. We cannot depend on others to tell us what to do. If we want to survive, we have to do it.

[MiamiensisWx]

Amen to you as well, senorpepr.

[wxmann_91]

I learned that even with today's modern technology for forecasting hurricanes, they can and will still have the capacity to wipe out entire towns and kill thousands of people.

[snowflake]

Manditory evacuations should have been ordered long before 24 hours. If you have a car you should evacuate when told to do so. I know that some people take the bus wherever they have to go and do not have cars. Maybe they should have tried to evacuate these people by putting them in buses before Katrina made landfall and taking them to the Astrodome and other places. You should have a plan before the hurricane season begins. Have flashlights, water, canned goods, all of your medcines, cash and other items that you will need during a hurricane. You should also know your evacuation route.

[superfly]

Manditory evacuations should have been ordered long before 24 hours. If you have a car you should evacuate when told to do so. I know that some people take the bus wherever they have to go and do not have cars. Maybe they should have tried to evacuate these people by putting them in buses before Katrina made landfall and taking them to the Astrodome and other places. You should have a plan before the hurricane season begins. Have flashlights, water, canned goods, all of your medcines, cash and other items that you will need during a hurricane. You should also know your evacuation route.

The mayor is not allowed to issue mandatory evacuations prior to 24 hours before landfall.

[MBismyPlayground]

Things I have learned........

1. Add a small blow up boat or raft to hurricane kit, along with some type of floatation device. (just in case)
2. Always have a plan.Where you will go and how you will get there.
3. Make sure that the people who might worry about you, if you are in a impacted area, know your first name, what town you are from, and maybe even a contact number......just in case
And..........
NEVER EVER UNDER ESTIMATE THE POWERS OF MOTHER NATURE!

[BamaMan]

Evacuations should have been ordered, or at least should have started earlier. I do think though that people will get out on their own now, with or without orders to evacuate. Also need to make sure to have larger gas supply on hand for generator. We were scrambling for fuel for a couple of days, and generators are a very important thing to have as I have now learned. Thanks to my wife for talking me into getting us one last week prior to Katrina.

[seaswing]

Hind-sight is 20/20. I believe that if/when people are asked to evacuate by literally every government agency as well as weather mets., you will not have to ask them twice. Floridians have learned this already. Most of us will leave when asked now...of course there will always be those few that will stay but even the ones who are too poor or have no way to leave, Florida generally gets them out. This is because we have earlier warning systems already in place as we have experienced those 'sneek attacks; from storms that were forcasted to go one place but turned before the got there. I know that if I was asked to go, no one would have to ask me twice.

[chicagopizza]

I've learned I have to be proactive before something happens again. I know there are some who would still choose to stay even with new options and that this was beyond what anyone could have ever fully prepared for. I have not walked a mile in anyone's shoes and I know that blame can't change anything. All I know is that I watched tourists & poverty stricken people on tv, some of whom, seemed to stay because they felt they explored all options and felt they had no choice left and it was a hard pill to swallow. Please note, this is not inetnded to be political- more like where can we, as coastal communities, make a difference for the future?

I wonder if coastal hotels could each buy a van, bus -whatever has enough seats available for full capacity - and/or lifejackets for the rooms- maybe give a tax exemption for those who comply. The transportation would not leave until every seat was filled-hotel guest or not. As for the poverty stricken, local government could have busses in place for people to leave -before the storm hits. Each bus would know at the beginning of the season which section of town was their responsibility to get people out of. Of course, the law might have to change to make mandatory evacs happen earlier than 24 hours in advance since there would be more vehicles on the roads.

I do not know if this is possible and will not pretend to; I may be armchair quarterbacking without knowing all the facts, but if everyone from cruise ships to Nascar has changed safety requirements over the years, why can't coastal communities, as well? Please, if I made this political, it was not my intention and I am trying to be respectful of those suffering. If I have failed to do so, please pm me and delete my post.

[weatherwindow]

first....this post is not intended as any political statement. what i want to discuss is the priority that public safety must be given in the formulation of public policy. as has been repeated, ad nauseum, the louisiana catastrophe was not unexpected and had been modelled for years. many efforts, if undertaken, over the decades could have mitigated the new orleans debacle. it is doubtful that these efforts could be untaken or completed without the combined assets of local, state and federal governments. of course, many diverse interests, of all stripes, continually compete for limited funds. the point of this post is that the first function of government is, and should be, public safety. this should trump any and all other concerns. let us resolve that we maintain this vital focus on the safety of our citizens. we must undertake the programs along our coasts that will mitigate risk regardless of cost. can we do otherwise after seeing the cost of our errors last week?.................rich

[bevgo]

I learned to get the hurricane kit together, Make sure you are fully stocked, gas in the cars. Put the hurricane kit in the car and LEAVE TOWN--Go awat from the strike area--You may still need your supplies if the storm follows you but you won't need the life raft and you won't have to wonder if red cross will ever come.

LEAVE. It is not cool to stay and it is not exciting to see a hurricane up close and personal--well it is exciting but not an experience I plan to repeat.