"We had troops ready before the storm"

[crazycajuncane]

I was watching the 5:30 press conference with Blanco, the FEMA director and the rest of the crew.

They mentioned they had troops ready before the storm and when a woman reporter asked them.... what took ya'll so long... they beat around the bush with the answer saying they had to strategicvally move the troops in..... bullshit!

They really didn't offer any clear cut answer to her question.

This was being shown on the Lafayette CBS affiliate... We cut back to Chuck Hubener and he says, "Well I don't know what they're talking about, but help didn't get out there until Friday!"

I thought that was a bold statement from him. It's damn true that the real movement did not begin until Friday.

[JQ Public]

Cow patties indeed!!

[HurricaneGirl]

Yeah, sure they did!

[alicia-w]

the order issued by the President on the 27th allowed FEMA to position it's assets in locations that were strategically the best to provide assistance. however,if folks couldnt get out, what makes you think it was any easier to get in?

[themusk]

the order issued by the President on the 27th allowed FEMA to position it's assets in locations that were strategically the best to provide assistance. however,if folks couldnt get out, what makes you think it was any easier to get in?

You mean that just like the tourists, the poor, the elderly, and the disabled, the military doesn't have any automobiles?

The media was was able to get in and out of the city. The FBI entered the city to secure areas of importance to national security almost before the wind stopped blowing. The city was accessible by road with difficulty even in the first hours after the storm, and was made more easily accessible within the first 24 hours or so. Helicopters were able to access the city when the winds dropped to a safe level. There is no evidence that some sort of sea change occurred on Friday that made the city more accessible than it was on Thursday or Wednesday, and no evidence that combat troops couldn't have dealt with the physical obstacles present on Tuesday (in fact, if they could not, I would be very concerned about our nation's preparedness).

I don't know why troops were not sent in earlier, but it is implausible that access is the reason.

[NFLnut]

the order issued by the President on the 27th allowed FEMA to position it's assets in locations that were strategically the best to provide assistance. however,if folks couldnt get out, what makes you think it was any easier to get in?

You mean that just like the tourists, the poor, the elderly, and the disabled, the military doesn't have any automobiles?

The media was was able to get in and out of the city. The FBI entered the city to secure areas of importance to national security almost before the wind stopped blowing. The city was accessible by road with difficulty even in the first hours after the storm, and was made more easily accessible within the first 24 hours or so. Helicopters were able to access the city when the winds dropped to a safe level. There is no evidence that some sort of sea change occurred on Friday that made the city more accessible than it was on Thursday or Wednesday, and no evidence that combat troops couldn't have dealt with the physical obstacles present on Tuesday (in fact, if they could not, I would be very concerned about our nation's preparedness).

I don't know why troops were not sent in earlier, but it is implausible that access is the reason.

You're kidding, right?!

It's a whole lot easier to get a few reporters and camermen IN than to get hundreds, even thousands, of troops and the required equipment in! Let's remember, troops and the required equipment don't generally travel in CARS! Second, the airport was under water. Third, the major thoroughfares were destroyed and/or under water. Also, the "sea change" you refer to was getting the water pumped OUT of the airport and the runways that enabled flights IN!

The bottom line is that HAD the Mayor and the Gov heeded the NHC and President Bush' advice to evacuate the city starting FRIDAY, the numbers of people stuck inside of that cesspool called NOLA would have been MUCH lower!

[x-y-no]

The bottom line is that HAD the Mayor and the Gov heeded the NHC and President Bush' advice to evacuate the city starting FRIDAY, the numbers of people stuck inside of that cesspool called NOLA would have been MUCH lower!

Wow ... the timeline keeps shifting. Now the advice was to evacuate on Friday?

[GalvestonDuck]

The bottom line is that HAD the Mayor and the Gov heeded the NHC and President Bush' advice to evacuate the city starting FRIDAY, the numbers of people stuck inside of that cesspool called NOLA would have been MUCH lower!

Wow ... the timeline keeps shifting. Now the advice was to evacuate on Friday?

That's what it always was...or at least, that what I'd always thought it was and read on here.

[tndefender]

Regarding the so-called access problem, I think the New Orleans Times-Picayune said it best:

"Bienville built New Orleans where he built it for one main reason: It’s accessible. The city between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain was easy to reach in 1718.

How much easier it is to access in 2005 now that there are interstates and bridges, airports and helipads, cruise ships, barges, buses and diesel-powered trucks.

Despite the city’s multiple points of entry, our nation’s bureaucrats spent days after last week’s hurricane wringing their hands, lamenting the fact that they could neither rescue the city’s stranded victims nor bring them food, water and medical supplies.

Meanwhile there were journalists, including some who work for The Times-Picayune, going in and out of the city via the Crescent City Connection. On Thursday morning, that crew saw a caravan of 13 Wal-Mart tractor trailers headed into town to bring food, water and supplies to a dying city.

Television reporters were doing live reports from downtown New Orleans streets. Harry Connick Jr. brought in some aid Thursday, and his efforts were the focus of a "Today" show story Friday morning.

Yet, the people trained to protect our nation, the people whose job it is to quickly bring in aid were absent. Those who should have been deploying troops were singing a sad song about how our city was impossible to reach."

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tporleans/ ... tml#076771

[x-y-no]

The bottom line is that HAD the Mayor and the Gov heeded the NHC and President Bush' advice to evacuate the city starting FRIDAY, the numbers of people stuck inside of that cesspool called NOLA would have been MUCH lower!

Wow ... the timeline keeps shifting. Now the advice was to evacuate on Friday?

That's what it always was...or at least, that what I'd always thought it was and read on here.

I don't think that's right. Every account I can recall seeing said that it was Saturday evening that Max Mayfield called Nagin to urge immediate mandatory evacuation, and the President Bush called him Sunday morning with that request.

EDIT: For example:

The criticisms of Nagin came from above as well. Numerous officials urged him to evacuate the city, but he worried about the legality of ordering people out when New Orleans has few safe hurricane shelters. Also, National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield in Miami called Nagin at home Saturday night and told him: Get people out of New Orleans.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 505019.htm

EDIT again ...

Finally stumbled across a reference to when President Bush called to urge mandatory evac. It was Sunday morning, shortly before the press conference when mandatory evacuation was announced.

The governor also said that President Bush had telephoned shortly before the 9:30 a.m. press conference began. She said Bush said he was “very concerned about the storm’s impact” and urged Blanco and Nagin to order the evacuation.

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_08.html#074564

So no, neither Mayfield nor Bush urged anything of the kind on Friday.

[luvwinter]

I don't know if anyone saw the interview with Rumsfeld and whatever military personnell was beside him earlier in the day but IMOH their response was no that great either. When asked why they didn't air drop food and water they skirted around the answer by pointing out that the coast guard was spending their time rescuing people from the floodwaters. They said their plan of attack was to rescue then bring in food and water then take care of the levee breach. They also said they had federal troops in place prior to the storm hitting. They made an excuse of the fact that they had to move the equipment out of the storms path and then bring it back down again. Excuses upon excuses. How long does it take maybe 2-3 helicopters to make a few runs to drop food and water to the convention center and the superdome or the highway. Also if they were ready and there, then why were there proboems where offers of help and supplies turned away? Walmart with their truckload of water and whatever supplies they brought with them turned away. I think we all know that the ball was dropped not only on the state and local level but also at the federal level. I would have thought that dropping supplies to those people would have been part of life saving measures since some died of stravation and dehydration.

[MBismyPlayground]

I am not going to debate alot of these issues. But I can tell you all one thing. On Friday, prior to the soldiers being released, the ready brigade of the 82nd ABN was briefed on Hurricane Katrina. Basically that it was being watched at this time, blah blah......On Monday, it was more indepth.
The biggest problems were those of logistics. Where would these soldiers come in at?????? Flooded runways, ect.......Jump the 82nd ABN into NO and have more injuries then already there? Jump them in with Heavy drop equipment that may or may not land in flooded areas????
Besides these logistic issues, the Govenor of the state of LA said that with National Guard and civil authorities she could handle it.
There is a constitution that has to be abided by......Period.
No matter what this plan says or that plan says, when it comes to active duty military intervention, there are rules. You cannot beg on national TV for aid.......it has to be requested. One cannot demand military intervention and expect to be the one to lead it.
For some reason, this is beginning to seem like a power struggle.Sad to say.
All I know is that the 82nd ABN were posed and ready to leave, since last week. I was shocked on a daily basis when I found out they had not been pushed out. I CHECKED on a daily basis as to what was happening out there at Fort Bragg. The soldiers waited just as we all waited.

[M_0331]

MB,
Very good post !!

Eddie

[crazycajuncane]

MB... then something just doesn't add up.

They couldn't find any way into the city and then all the sudden on Friday they appeared?

I guarentee you... I was throwing the book out the window the minute $hit hit the fan. If I was governor of Louisiana... I wouldn't have let politics get in the way of saving lives.

I can't wait for election time. You can bet that we're going to have a lot of new blood running this state, because those in office have put this state to shame. I'm totally at a loss for words.

[aumoore]

Maybe the Military under estimated the amount of people who refused to evacuate. If everyone had evacuated to the shelters instead of staying in their wooden structures it would have been much easier to rescue them instead of performing a Search & Rescue. With people scattered thruout the city with no communication how did you expect to find them?

In Florida the officials usually order mandatory evacuations at least 48 hours before the storm. That should have been done by Saturday Morning not on Sunday after the President called to see why they did not.
You cannot evacuate a large City like NO in less than 24 hours period. The Pensacola area is probably one fifth the size and the roads look like parking lots two days before a major storm comes. If Pensacoa was 1.3 million people they would need to start evacuation three days in advance.

IMHO the Mayor should have put the people's lives first and not spent Saturday worring if he was going to get sued by ordering evacuations.

[JQ Public]

COW PATTIES I TELL YOU!!

[MBismyPlayground]

MB... then something just doesn't add up.

They couldn't find any way into the city and then all the sudden on Friday they appeared?

I guarentee you... I was throwing the book out the window the minute $hit hit the fan. If I was governor of Louisiana... I wouldn't have let politics get in the way of saving lives.

I can't wait for election time. You can bet that we're going to have a lot of new blood running this state, because those in office have put this state to shame. I'm totally at a loss for words.

If you recall, by this time they had the airfield clear so a C17 could land with troops and supplies. Prior to this, before the 82nd ABN was brought in, your Govenor said she had things under control. In a time like this, one cannot be wishy washy. Authorities need to make decisions that are in the best interest of the citizens. If she hesitated in her requests for assistance, or refused to accept the "new rules" that this kind of request would garner, then this would slow up any deployment of active duty forces. And so far, to this day, she still refuses to relinquish her control.

[kevin]

If the Chinese had invaded New Orleans AND blew up the levy, I guarantee you within the day there would be troops flying there. Within the day.

[vbhoutex]

If the Chinese had invaded New Orleans AND blew up the levy, I guarantee you within the day there would be troops flying there. Within the day.

Uh yeh you are right because that would be a foreign power invading our soil. HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!

[mf_dolphin]

If the Chinese had invaded New Orleans AND blew up the levy, I guarantee you within the day there would be troops flying there. Within the day.

Personally I'm about fed up with these types of posts. Time and time again it's been explained that there is a difference between a foreign invasion / attack and a natural disaster. To try and equate the two and the Federal response is nonsense.

Now to a couple of counter-points to the above post:

"Bienville built New Orleans where he built it for one main reason: It’s accessible. The city between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain was easy to reach in 1718.

The primary means of transport in 1718 Louisiana was via waterway. Not exactly the way to move heavy equipment, supplies and manpower rapidly today. EVen today there are limits to shipping along both the Mississippi and the lake due to obstructions in the water.

How much easier it is to access in 2005 now that there are interstates and bridges, airports and helipads, cruise ships, barges, buses and diesel-powered trucks.

Ther are three main road avenues into NO. At least 2 of those were seriously compromised. Both NO airports were closed and suffered heavy damage to flight control infrastructure as well. A lot of the staging therefore had to be done outside the immediate area initially.

Despite the city’s multiple points of entry, our nation’s bureaucrats spent days after last week’s hurricane wringing their hands, lamenting the fact that they could neither rescue the city’s stranded victims nor bring them food, water and medical supplies.

The responsibility for initial response in the local and state government's responsibility pure and simple. Where were the National Guard helicopters flying in food and water? Where were the LA National Guard troops to maintain order? Without security how do you expect life saving and emergency responders to work. Read the stories, and there plenty of them, about efforts being halted or not even started out of safety concerns for the responders.

[/quote]