Posted on 09/03/2005 12:37:22 PM PDT by nwrep
Read the article below from AP. Fed. response was immediate and timely - within 24 hrs., contrary to recent revisionism:
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As dawn broke on the day after Hurricane Katrina's landfall, emergency officials in the Gulf Coast states faced the sobering reality of the storm's devastation. With confirmed deaths now past 50, Mississippi's governor warned that the toll in one county alone could rise to 80.
The death toll soared with the grim discovery of numerous bodies in the remains of a Biloxi, Mississippi, apartment complex. Authorities said the count of lives lost is certain to rise as rescue workers reach victims in other flood-ravaged neighborhoods.
Even with Katrina swirling away to the north as a tropical storm, two different levee breaches in New Orleans sent a churning sea of water coursing through city streets.
"The hurricane was scary," Scott Radish told The Times-Picayune. "All the tree branches fell, but the building stood. I thought I was doing good. Then I noticed my Jeep was under water."
Across the Gulf Coast, boats rescued people clinging to rooftops, hundreds of trees were uprooted and sailboats were flung about like toys after Katrina crashed ashore yesterday in what could become the most expensive storm in U.S. history.
The federal government began rushing baby formula, communications equipment, generators, water and ice into hard-hit areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, along with doctors, nurses and first-aid supplies.
The U.S. Defense Department sent experts to help with search-and-rescue operations.
"We pray that the loss of life is very limited, but we fear that is not the case," Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said.
New Orleans, relieved to have missed the brunt of the killer hurricane, found itself dealing with a second, creeping disaster on the day after the storm.
I think that little Kanye West temper tantrum may have turned the tide in our favor. I think people realized just how silly the Bush-bashing was. Of course the moonbats will always be moonbats.
Bookmarking. Thanks.
I believe it's the prime reason why the Dim response to Mr. Bush's radio address was so atypical, today.
They never did. Bush called the gov and the mayor ahead of time... they said they had it under control. Guess W figured out they were dummies and went on TV and declared state of emergency for two of the states ahead of time and asked for mandatory evacuation.
Bookmarking and a bump.
From a Navy guy:
Haven't read much about this in the news .... but a Navy info source that I receive sent this out this morning.
Thanks to the Navy's new readiness model 28 ships were ready to get underway within 24 hours.
Bataan (a helicopter carrier) and HSV (High Speed Vessel) 2 Swift, out of Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, are off the affected coastline providing support. Four MH-53s (huge helos capable of moving 40-50 troops) and two HH-60s (capable of moving about 20 troops) off the Bataan are flying medevac and search and rescue (SAR) missions in Louisiana, and supporting the Coast Guard's 8th District. Bataan's hospital and staff has been augmented by an additional contingent from the Navy's Bureau of Medicine (BUMED), consisting of 85 personnel, including 12 physicians and 4 surgeons.
The Iwo Jima (large helo carrier) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) is sailing from Norfolk, Va. loaded with disaster-response equipment. The USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8 - an oiler, ammunition and stores (as in refrigerated stores)) is currently off the Gulf Coast. USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) (large helo carrier), USS Shreveport (LPD 12) (large helo capable troop transport ship), and USS Tortuga (LSD 46) (large, helo capable troop transport ship) are expected soon. A medical staff augmentation for Iwo Jima is expected to be en route tomorrow.
The hospital ship, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), is departing Baltimore by September 3 to bring some 270 medical staff, capable of supporting 250 hospital beds, to the Gulf region. Project Hope has offered to embark additional medical personnel, and the Air Force's Surgeon General has offered to provide still further staff if needed.
USS Harry S. Truman (aircraft carrier) (CVN 75) and USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) (same as Tortuga above) are sailing today for areas off the Gulf Coast in support to FEMA relief operations. Truman will serve as a command center and an afloat staging base, and will carry additional helicopters from Naval Air Station Jacksonville to support search and rescue efforts. Whidbey Island will bring to the region the ability to employ a movable causeway.
USS Grapple (ARS 53) (salvage ship) is currently en route in order to assist with maritime and underwater survey and salvage operations.
Military Sealift Command has transferred control of five of its ships to the Navy's Second Fleet to provide further support to relief efforts. USNS Bellatrix, Altair, Pillilau, Bob Hope, and Argol are in the Gulf of Mexico already (all capable of carrying lots of food stuffs, and supplies). USNS Arctic is also at sea in the Gulf and acting as a FEMA support ship and providing logistics services support for the other ships at sea.
Navy helicopters from Jacksonville and Mayport, Fla., are supporting relief efforts, and Navy Seabees from Port Hueneme, Jacksonville, and Norfolk are on scene or making preparations to deploy to assist in relief operations.
USNS Pollux is operating onboard dialysis equipment for the patients of a local hospital, providing diesel fuel for area hospitals' generators, and providing meals and berthing to relief workers.
More at http://www.navy.mil
I liked how MSLSD played it again at 9 with one line edited.
He lost it.
ping
Not to mention the Black Caucus fiasco before.
And Bush comforting people of color... the horror!
I bet the libs are still trying to figure out how that clip slipped in.
From the AP wire this afternoon...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard&printer=1
Congress Likely to Probe Guard Response
By SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writer 23 minutes ago
Another 10,000 National Guard troops are being sent to the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast, raising their number to about 40,000, but questions linger about the speed with which troops were deployed.
Several states ready and willing to send National Guard troops to the rescue in New Orleans didn't get the go-ahead until days after the storm struck — a delay nearly certain to be investigated by Congress.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco help from his state's National Guard last Sunday, the day before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Blanco accepted, but paperwork needed to get the troops en route didn't come from Washington until late Thursday.
California troops just began arriving in Louisiana on Friday, three days after flood waters devastated New Orleans and chaos broke out.
In fact, when New Orleans' levees gave way to deadly flooding on Tuesday, Louisiana's National Guard had received help from troops in only three other states: Ohio, which had nine people in Louisiana then; Oklahoma, 89; and Texas, 625, figures provided by the National Guard show.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Cutler, who leads the Michigan National Guard, said he anticipated a call for police units and started preparing them, but couldn't go until states in the hurricane zone asked them to come.
"We could have had people on the road Tuesday," Cutler said. "We have to wait and respond to their need."
The Michigan National Guard was asked for military police by Mississippi late Tuesday and by Louisiana officials late Wednesday. The state sent 182 MPs to Mississippi on Friday and had 242 headed to Louisiana on Saturday.
Typically, the authority to use the National Guard in a state role lies with the governor, who tells his or her adjutant general to order individual Guard units to begin duty. Turnaround time varies depending on the number of troops involved, their location and their assigned missions.
One factor that may have further complicated post-Katrina deployment arose when Louisiana discovered it needed Guardsmen to do more law enforcement duty because a large portion of the New Orleans police force was not functioning, according to Lt. Gen. Steven H. Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau at the Pentagon.
Because the agreement that was already in existence for states to contribute Guard troops to Louisiana did not include a provision on their use in law enforcement, Blum said, Gov. Blanco had to get separate written agreements authorizing Guardsmen to do police-type duty.
Still, Blum said, this took only minutes to execute.
With many states' Guard units depleted by deployments to Iraq, Katrina's aftermath was almost certain from the beginning to require help from faraway states.
Republicans and Democrats alike in Congress are just beginning to ask why one of the National Guard's most trusted roles — disaster relief — was so uneven, delayed and chaotic this time around.
Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record), R-Neb., said the situation has shown major breakdowns in the nation's emergency response capabilities. "There must be some accountability in this process after the crisis is addressed," he said.
Democrat Ben Nelson, Nebraska's other senator, said he now questions National Guard leaders' earlier assertions that they had enough resources to respond to natural disasters even with the Iraq war.
"I'm going to ask that question again," Nelson said. "Do we have enough (troops), and if we do, why were they not deployed sooner?"
President Bush was asked that question Friday as he toured the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast area and said he disagrees with criticism the military is stretched too thin.
"We've got a job to defend this country in the war on terror, and we've got a job to bring aid and comfort to the people of the Gulf Coast, and we'll do both," he said.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., plans to make oversight of the Defense Department, the National Guard and their assistance his top priority when he returns to Washington next week from an overseas trips, spokesman John Ullyot said Friday.
Bush had the legal authority to order the National Guard to the disaster area himself, as he did after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks . But the troops four years ago were deployed for national security protection, and presidents of both parties traditionally defer to governors to deploy their own National Guardsmen and request help from other states when it comes to natural disasters.
In addition to Guard help, the federal government could have activated, but did not, a major air support plan under a pre-existing contract with airlines. The program, called Civilian Reserve Air Fleet, lets the government quickly put private cargo and passenger planes into service.
The CRAF provision has been activated twice, once for the Persian Gulf War and again for the Iraq war.
___ On the Net: National Guard units: http://www.ngb.army.mil/states/
could get ugly
I also think it didn't help that Drudge has posted a link for the last two days to some Black-lib-activist who claims that certain black people in NO have turned to cannibalism after 4 days without food.
Monday: FEMA Director Mike Brown arrived at the state Office of Emergency Preparedness in Baton Rouge shortly before 11 a.m. and joined a conference call with Gov. Kathleen Blanco and other federal and state officials.
WHEREAS, the State of Louisiana requests that Missouri provide military support, both personnel and equipment, beginning August 30, 2005, and continuing; andWHEREAS, on August 30, 2005, I directed the Missouri National Guard to initiate efforts to comply with the State of Louisiana’s request and any other request for the National Guard resulting in the hurricane response pursuant to the EMAC;
ping
ping
A couple of questions
(Not call anyone a liar...For all I know this whole thing went through with maturity, swfitness, and efficiency...just would be interesting for someone to ask, and answer, these questions.) :
-- Where's the dated DC reply okaying the NG? Some kind of dated record would be nice.
-- When was the request sent to DC? Again, dated record would be nice.
-- How was it sent? Phone, fax, internet, USPS?
-- Who sent it?
-- Where -- to what agency -- was it sent? The correct agency? Or did it have to get forwarded to the correct agency?
-- Given the [unreasonable] delay in getting an answer from DC, why didn't the LA gov'n and/or NO mayor not take matters in their own hands and, on their own volition, give the go ahead for the NG, wether LA and/or other state?
Governor Richardson Orders 200 New Mexico National Guard to Aid in Hurricane Katrina Relief
August 30, 2005
New Mexico Urban Search and Rescue Team
Deployed to Louisiana
New Mexico Emergency Operations Center Coordinating Assistance with the National Guard, Department of Health and State Police
Santa Fe- Governor Bill Richardson has ordered 200 members of the New Mexico National Guard to aid in the hurricane relief effort.
“The New Mexico National Guard has extensive experience in disaster relief and after my discussions with Governor Blanco; I have ordered two hundred members of the New Mexico National Guard to leave immediately. Last night, the New Mexico Urban Search and Rescue Team departed for Baton Rouge, the federal and state staging area for eight to ten Strike Force teams for specific instructions,” Governor Richardson said.
“I spoke with Louisiana Governor Blanco and offered whatever help we could. The total dimensions of the disaster are still unknown. But, it is clear they need all the help they can get and the New Mexico teams are ready and able to provide immediate assistance. They are highly capable and well trained. The National Guard and the Department of Public Safety have valuable experience that can be put to immediate use in the impacted areas,” Governor Richardson said.
“We will continue to maintain contact with state and federal officials and respond to their requests for aid as we are able. Our hearts go out to all the victims, their families and the communities,” Governor Richardson said.
New Mexico Urban Search and Rescue Team Deployed for Hurricane Assistance
Santa Fe—Governor Richardson authorized the deployment of the New Mexico Task Force 1 called up for service yesterday by FEMA. The Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team departed last night and is now en route to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where they will stage with other teams to begin highly specialized and skilled search and rescue missions.
The 70 member team is composed of New Mexico volunteers who are trained in emergency medicine, K-9 searches, collapsed building searches, fire and rescue and other specialized urban rescue support efforts. They are volunteers from fire departments, police departments, wilderness search and rescue teams and other concerned citizens. NMTF1 is administered by the Department of Public Safety Office of Emergency Management.
The Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) was deployed to Houston on Sunday. DMAT is a 35 member team of volunteer medical professionals, doctors, nurses and others, who will help local hospitals and medical personnel in the affected disaster areas.
New Mexico Red Cross has sent two-- ten person volunteer teams and supplies.
New Mexicans are very generous when our neighbors are in need but donations of food, clothing and other things cannot be accepted. Transportation to these affected areas is severely limited and these items would have to be stockpiled, stored and would not reach those in need. Donations of money should be made to the Red Cross or other disaster relief organizations, a list of items to donate can be found at www.fema.gov.
The State of New Mexico will be sending more highly skilled and trained volunteers as the affected states request more help.
bttt
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