[Richard Kimball]

This is from my blog. It's my perspective on what's going to happen with FEMA, and what I think they SHOULD do to turn things around. Although I deal with FEMA here, I didn't get into the problems with New Orleans and Louisiana, as that would require an extra 20 pages. In any event, please do not confuse my poor opinion of FEMA's response with an absolution of local and state authorities, who have primary responsibility for protecting their citizens.

[muawiyah]

We did an emergency plan for our building in Roslyn (in Arlington VA) just up the street from the Pentagon (which was attacked on 9/11).

It took about 3 pages. You must cover bio hazard, chemical hazard, radiation hazard, electrical failure, tornado, earthquake, hurricane, broken glass, non-working toilets, shelter in place, etc.

There is a real limit to what people can grasp, and 3 pages is about it.

Then you make a list of names of who is supposed to be there so you can find out who's healthy, and who's not, when disaster hit. Very important to know what you've got to work with.

Yes, Northern Virginia gets hit with hurricanes every now and then.

[willyd]

Do you realize that FEMA is just a shell organization to coordinate other relief efforts? They are not a first responder. They don't have staff that is trained in rescue. They are a beauracracy. They are only capable of being as efficient as your local driver's license station. 10 people do the work of two. Ask yourself this...why is it that Florida can evacuate four times without a hitch and New Orleans can't get 500,000 people out of town with three to four days notice? You could almost walk to Houston from New Orleans in that amount of time. FEMA is a joke, but so is relying on the federal government for anything. If our government was reliable in the least, those levies would have been built properly in the first place.