Bush Urges People to Flee Hurricane (August 28th)

AP ^ | 8-28-05

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

Bush Urges People to Flee Hurricane

- By JENNIFER LOVEN

Sunday, August 28, 2005

(08-28) 13:13 PDT Crawford, Texas (AP) --

President Bush, as he readied the federal government for a massive relief effort, on Sunday urged people in the path of Hurricane Katrina to forget anything but their safety and move to higher ground as instructed.

"We cannot stress enough the danger this hurricane poses to Gulf Coast communities," Bush said as the storm roared across the gulf toward New Orleans and other communities. "I urge all citizens to put their own safety and the safety of their families first by moving to safe ground."

With forecasters warning of a category five storm, the president made sure the federal response would not be delayed by already declaring emergencies in Mississippi and Florida just hours after a similar declaration for Louisiana. Such declarations make federal aid available to assist with disaster relief, but they are rarely made before a storm even hits.

Working from his Texas ranch, Bush participated via videoconference in a large meeting of federal, state and local disaster management officials preparing for the storm's onslaught. Separately, he spoke by phone with the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

"We will do everything in our power to help the people and the communities affected by this storm," the president said.

Winds reaching 175 mph and a potentially devastating storm surge were feared when Hurricane Katrina reached land early Monday. The 485,000 residents of New Orleans were ordered to evacuate the city.

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

What more could be done? The Gubment can't stop Mother Nature, and people were warned. They were warned. Repeat after me, they were warned.

[RoseofTexas]

Warned they were! We here on FR were hopping mad because the Troop rally was ignored to show Katrina's tracking it's way to NO! SOOOOOOO those folks can't say they were not warned by the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES to skedaddle from lower grounds!!

I might as well say it, before a TROLL comes in and says it first...

IT'S BUSH'S FAULT!!

[ChristianDefender]

Repeat after me, they were warned.

They were warned.

Indeed.

[plushaye]

If what happened seems worse than a Hollywood disaster movie, here's a movie scenario that President Bush didn't have to face, because he took a leadership role in forcing the evacuation.

"[President] Whitmore didn't look up to her, didn't move a muscle. "I could have evacuated the cities hours ago. I should have." He sighed deeply. "Everything was so simple when I flew in the Gulf War. We knew what we had to do and we did it. Nothing's simple anymore. A lot of people died today, Connie." He looked up at her for the first time.
"How many of them didn't have to?"

- from the movie "Independence Day"

[Hildy]

Yes, they were warned. But how many warnings has that area had this year and, honestly, they never really have panned out. I'm not saying it's an excuse, it's just easier to understand when you think of it that way.

[Texasforever]

I'm not saying it's an excuse, it's just easier to understand when you think of it that way.

There is no such thing as a "false alarm" there is only the hand of God or luck that averted the disaster. It is also an excuse of those that don't heed a warning to say that they had warnings before. Each individual has the right to ignore the warnings but NO RIGHT to complain afterwords.

[Tacis]

The test, of course, will be "how many of the folks that followed the warnings and left are sorry they did." The answer is clearly, "damn few!" Some of the warnings in Florida in recent years have been criticised because they grossly overestimated the risks and forced people to flee when it wasn't necessary. Not so with these warnings.

[solitas]

"Hey - y'all better git out d'way... 'kay?"

[skr]

When a category 4-5 is involved, I think living below sea level with levees holding back the sea would make me more likely to pay attention to warnings. But I do understand about getting blasé when there are several tropical storms/hurricanes in a short space of time.

[Howlin]

It will be interesting to see how many leave next time.

[Hildy]

Who's complaining? I was just trying to understand why people chose not to heed this warning. That's all. Yeesh.

[Hildy]

Who's complaining? I was just trying to understand why people chose not to heed this warning. That's all. Yeesh.

[Black Tooth]

President Bush, as he readied the federal government for a massive relief effort, on Sunday urged people in the path of Hurricane Katrina to forget anything but their safety and move to higher ground as instructed.

What more could be done? The Gubment can't stop Mother Nature, and people were warned. They were warned. Repeat after me, they were warned.

I said the same on a thread today, and got hammered left and right.

[CBart95]

Bush haters are already blaming Bush for global warming and saying that Katrina is the result.
Ergo Sum: Bush did it.

It's been in news accounts since yesterday.

[Savage Rider]

I noticed that President Bush urged people to leave before the LA governor or NO mayor did. They were too scared to urge mandatory evacuation, so the President took it upon himself to do it.

[KingNo155]

When were the first threads warning about this storm posted here on FreeRepublic? Thursday 8/25 or Friday 8/26? I could pack my whole house into a truck in 24 hours that includes taking the light bulbs and all the junk I never use. give me 36 hrs and the only thing left would be the frame, roof and siding

[Keith in Iowa]

There was enough information available Friday night & Saturday morning that if I lived anywhere near the coast between Houston, TX & Pensacola FL I would have gotten the hell out by Saturday night at the latest.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Plus, it's hard to loot and pillage your neighborhood if you have evacuated.

[willyboyishere]

Yes, and wasn't it that moron Aaron Brown on CNN who said sometime in the last 24 hours, that "finally the President is taking this situation seriously". WHAT a DICK!

[KingNo155]

I think I remember reading warnings on Thursday night that this was the big one.

[zeaal]

What more could be done you ask? Well, let me tell you ... President Bush, along with Mrs. Bush and their daughters could have personally traveled to NO and driven folks out of the city. That would have been four cars moving folks. THAT is what more President Bush could have done. ... at least from a DUmmies point of view.

[DJ MacWoW]

They were warned. Repeat after me, they were warned.

Two unidentified men help a disabled girl to safety after the home she was staying in was flooded in Pascagoula, Miss. (Associated Press)

Henry Winter is helped onto a National Guard truck after he and his wife, Heloise Winter, right, were rescued from their lower 9th Ward home by the NOPD Swat officers after flooding from Hurricane Katrina Monday, Aug. 29, 2005. (Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle<.I>

NOPD Swat Officer Lt. Todd Morrel, left, tries to fold up an ironing board as Lt. Chris Mandry, right, swims back from neighboring home as they, with New Orleans Times Picayune photographer Alex Brandon, work to rescue Lois Rice, Monday, Aug. 29, 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. The officers cut a hole in the roof to rescue Lois Rice from her flooded home in the lower 9th Ward. She floated on an air matress to her attic. The neighbor on next roof gave the officers an ironing board for them to use as a stretcher. She cannot walk. Since the neighbor gave them the ironing board they took him on the boat also.

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

Maybe you missed the pics of the musclebound men carting off cases of beer?

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

The President warned to evacuate, but the LA dem gov and NO mayor fiddled around until too late, and now New Orleans is flooded, trapping tens of thousands.

The confused appearance of the usual LA democrat pol suspects at a news conference today looked like possums caught in a hail storm as the MSM besieged them with questions.

The Corps of Engineers should have the best advice for repairing the breached levees. I would suggest that any Cajun could tell them exactly how much rice it would take to fill in the holes.

[DJ MacWoW]

Maybe you missed the pics of the musclebound men carting off cases of beer?

You need to stop painting everyone that stayed with the same brush. Generalisations may make you feel superior to those that stayed but as you can see from the pics, some had no choice. It's a long fall from that altitude that you're judging from.

[Huck]

Camille was in 1969. People shoulda known better. Now they'll probably rebuild right in the same place like a bunch of fools.

[libstripper]

This was really different. Not only were there the ordinary warnings, but there were the really ominous radar and satellite immages of the approaching horror. Anybody in his or her right mind would have looked at those reports and decided to beat it.

[Tribune7]

bump

He is a very good president.

[ladyjane]

Some people listened. The mayor of New Orleans sent his own family out of town Friday! He delayed talk of evacuation until Sunday because Saturday night is the big money maker in the big easy. You reap what you sow.

[EmilyGeiger]

The radio stations in Alabama preempted talk radio for 24/7 coverage from Mon.-Tue. And I am in mid Alabama, nowhere near the coast.

[DCBill]

Bless you. These pictures show reality, as unpleasant as it may be.