Unprepared for Disaster: The Federal Government's Lethal Response to Hurricane Katrina

Strategic Insights -

As Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, the nation was woefully unprepared for the disaster that unfolded. Despite early warnings of the hurricane's potential devastation, the federal government's response was slow, inadequate, and often non-existent. The article highlights the stunning lack of preparation and urgency in the federal government's response, including the delay in deploying military resources and the failure to preventatively address known flood control risks.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) listed the three most likely catastrophic disasters facing America before 9/11, including a hurricane strike on New Orleans, which was described as a "deadly" scenario in December 2001.
  • Despite clear warnings of potential catastrophe, the response to Katrina was slow, with thousands of Americans dead or dying due to a lack of evacuation assistance.
  • The National Guard's equipment, including high-water vehicles, was in Iraq, leaving the Guard unprepared to respond to the disaster.
  • The Army Corps of Engineers sharply slowed its flood-control work after 2003, citing spending pressures from the war in Iraq and homeland security, as well as tax cuts.
  • The Bush administration's treatment of FEMA led to a mass exodus of experienced professionals, eroding the agency's effectiveness.
  • Former FEMA Director James Lee Witt testified that the agency's ability to prepare for and respond to disasters had been "sharply eroded."

Statistics:

  • 5 days: the amount of time it took for aid and security to arrive after Katrina struck
  • Thousands: the number of Americans dead or dying due to a lack of evacuation assistance
  • 2003: the year the Army Corps of Engineers sharply slowed its flood-control work
  • 2002: the year the corps' chief resigned after criticizing proposed budget cuts, including flood-control spending

Sources:

The Houston Chronicle, December 2001

The New York Times, sources cited in Editor and Publisher

The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, series of articles

James Lee Witt, Congressional hearing testimony