Katrina, a photographic timeline: Powerful proof federal response was NOT slow (warning, many pics)

Yahoo News Photos ^ | 9/6/05

[Wolfstar]

The near total evacuation of the major American port city of New Orleans, Louisiana was accomplished between Tuesday afternoon, August 30 and Friday afternoon, September 2, 2005. This evacuation occurred while other search, rescue, relief and evacuation operations were simultaneously being conducted throughout the Gulf Coast between approximately Lafayette, Louisiana, on the west and the Florida panhandle on the east -– an area of about 90,000 sq. miles, or the size of the entire nation of Great Britain.

I'd say this amazing achievement is the opposite of slow. I'd say that it's a stunning accomplishment and one that demonstrates superb organization, remarkable logistics flow, and the greatness of the American spirit.

From the following photographic timeline, it should be clear to all reasonable people that the failure of government response occurred before the hurricane hit, and it occurred solely at the local and state level.

[Ronzo]

BUMP for a good job!

[Monkey Face]

You are SUPERB! Thanks for this!







(Is there, "somewhere," a list of the nations who have pledged "help" and how much they have pledged? I'm curious, so if you know, or know someone who knows, I would appreciate knowing. If you know what I mean...)

XO

'Face

[Wolfstar]

A patient is evacuated from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi August 30, due to flooding from Hurricane Katrina. People were transported by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard on a C130 to Kelly City Base USA. Their medical care will be continued at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas. The U.S. military will send an additional 10,000 National Guard troops to Louisiana and Mississippi to help in hurricane relief, bringing to 40,000 the number of such troops there, the Pentagon said on Saturday.

Individuals are evacuated from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi August 30, 2005 due to flooding from Hurricane Katrina.

[Wolfstar]

As this caption reveals, city officials only began planning to evacuate the people in city shelters on Tuesday:

Aerial photograph of a levee breach and heavy flooding in the greater New Orleans area Tuesday, August 30, the day after the hurricane hit. Floodwaters engulfed much of New Orleans on Tuesday as officials feared a steep death toll and planned to evacuate thousands remaining in shelters after the historic city's defenses were breached by Hurricane Katrina.

[Wolfstar]

Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn Beaty, part of a HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue crew, looks for survivors in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans August 30, 2005.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott D. Rady pulls a pregnant woman from her flooded New Orleans home August 30, 2005.

[Jaded]

Mark for the next chapter.....

[arasina]

Note that contrary to New Orleans disaster planning, the both sides of this highway were not open to traffic going in one direction.

Sheesh! Apparently they effectively planned to ensure that it was 100% disaster.

Thanks for the pix thread, Wolfstar. Quite interesting.

[Wolfstar]

A section of the bridge connecting Ocean Springs with Biloxi is destroyed by hurricane Katrina. On Tuesday, the first day after the hurricane, the first aerial surveys showed widespread destruction and blockage of the regional highway and bridge system, making the flow of relief personnel and supplies into the area far more difficult.

Katrina, one of the most powerful hurricanes in U.S. history, forced operators to close more than a tenth of the country's refining capacity and a quarter of its oil output, spurring a frenzied spike in gasoline and heating oil prices. An oil refinery is submerged in water in Codin, Alabama, August 30, 2005.

[ozbushkin]

Amazing report Wolfstar - thank you!

I am still quite amazed how it all came to this. How much of a warning to people need?

[Wolfstar]

Note that the MSM's "Bush's fault" mantra had not yet gathered steam when this Reuters-Yahoo caption was posted Aug 31 at 7:51 AM EDT. Instead, the caption more honestly says authorities were overwhelmed.

Survivors, pulled from their apartment building in New Orleans by a Coast Guard rescue swimmer sit on the floor of an HH-65 Jayhawk rescue helicopter August 30. Hellish scenes of death, damage, and chaos wracked the U.S. Gulf Coast on Wednesday as overwhelmed authorities tried to rescue the living and count the dead amid the destruction left by powerful Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans was filling with water after an initial attempt to stop a leaking levee failed, while police fought a losing battle to stop widespread looting in the stricken city.

[stylin19a]

Conflicting reports on no food/water...it doesn't appear to be prepositioned but it was there before landfall

"About 26,000 New Orleans residents sought refuge from Hurricane Katrina at the Superdome, which authorities describe as the "shelter of last resort," Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu said late Sunday. To help keep them fed and hydrated, the Louisiana National Guard delivered three truckloads of water and seven truckloads of MREs - short for "meals ready to eat." That's enough to supply 15,000 people for three days, according to Col. Jay Mayeaux, deputy director of the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Emergency Preparedness.

[Wolfstar]

A lumber and paper building lies destroyed and scattered in Pascagoula, Mississippi, August 30. Army engineers raced to staunch rising floodwaters submerging historic New Orleans as helicopters plucked frantic survivors from rooftops and hundreds were feared dead on Tuesday. [It cannot be over-emphasized that this was one day after the hurricane hit. The Coast Guard, a federal asset, was on the scene. The Army Corps of Engineers, a federal asset, was on the scene.]

As shown in this August 30, photo, whole neighborhoods in Biloxi were also flooded.

Other neighborhoods in Biloxi were totally smashed. The overwhelming majority of storm victims in these areas were white, yet the MSM continues to focus on New Orleans and claim that there is a racial component to the federal disaster response.

A Biloxi resident cries near the Quiet Water Apartments on Gulf Drive in Biloxi August 30.

[Wolfstar]

Residents on a rescue boat wave to others staying behind as they leave their neighborhood in flooded New Orleans August 30.

New Orleans SWAT police armed with machine guns patrol downtown New Orleans August 30. If the media insists on claiming a racial component to disaster relief, notice that these officers are white.

A family is evacuated in a military helicopter from flooded New Orleans August 30.

A man, dragging a woman on a floating door with supplies, waves off a rescue boat in flooded New Orleans August 30.

[Wolfstar]

A rescue worker guides a flood victim toward a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during rescue operations in New Orleans in this video capture taken August 30.

Heaven Girod, who is five-months-old, is handed over to a National Guardsman as she is being evacuated from a flooded area in New Orleans August 30. [For emphasis, this was one day after the hurricane hit.]

People wait on a highway overpass after being rescued from a flooded area in New Orleans August 30.

[Wolfstar]

Train cars are derailed and scattered across the tracks after Hurricane Katrina struck in Pascagoula, Mississippi in a photo taken August 31. Authorities suspended an evacuation of New Orleans on Thursday after a reported shooting at a U.S. military helicopter.

Stranded New Orleans residents ask a policeman for guidance as they try to flee the hurricane-ravaged city of New Orleans August 31.

A satellite image shows the levee break at Bellaire Drive in New Orleans on August 31.

[Wolfstar]

The President made his first flyover of the disaster area Wednesday, August 31. Looking out the cabin window of Air Force One as he surveys the damage in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. It was about this time, with the cable news networks broadcast distressing scenes from the Superdome and nearby highway overpass, that the "blame Bush" storyline began to pick up steam. However, this was only the second day after the hurricane hit.

President Bush speaks to members of the White House Task Force on Hurricane Katrina Recovery shortly after returning to the White House from Crawford August 31.

[Wolfstar]

New Orleans firefighters walk through water as a looted sports store burns in the background in the city of New Orleans August 31. Once again, if the MSM insists the relief efforts have a racial component, note the race of these firemen.

[Wolfstar]

The USS Bataan [a federal asset] was positioned in the Gulf of Mexico when the storm hit. She rode out the storm and then followed it toward shore. Helicopter pilots flying from its deck were some of the first to begin rescuing stranded New Orleans residents.

In this photo, a search and rescue swimmer assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Two Eight prepares to assist in the rescue of a survivor in Louisiana, August 31.

A Landing Craft Utility (LCU) departs the well deck of the USS Bataan (LHD-5) bound for New Orleans, August 31. The LCU is loaded with sandbags, water, a small flat bottom boat, 300 lifejackets, a HUMVEE, and enough supplies to last 10 days.

[Wolfstar]

Mississippi Gulf Coast residents line up at a drug store to buy items as relief efforts began in the community stricken by Hurricane Katrina in Biloxi August 31. [So why aren't the Leftist media shills yelling about a "racist" or "slow" federal disaster response in Mississippi?]

[Wolfstar]

This is the first overtly biased Yahoo caption I came across in doing this research. Note that is says relief services "flailed away" even though the caption accompanies a photo of supplies being brought to the Superdome. Although the caption doesn't say it, the truck was part of a relief convoy making its way to the Superdome. This was Wednesday, about 48 hours after the storm moved north, and just one day after the levee breaks which caused people to be trapped in the Superdome and other shelters. BTW, at this point, no media outlet was talking about the problems at the Convention Center:

A 31 August, 2005 US Navy handout image shows a National Guard multi-purpose utility truck bringing supplies to the Superdome in New Orleans. Stretched relief services flailed away following a mass human exodus from Hurricane Katrina.