Posted on 09/11/2005 8:17:42 AM PDT by rickmichaels
Up until yesterday, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin had refused to join critics who say that Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts were slow because the majority of the storm's victims were black.
In an interview Saturday with the New Orleans Times-Picayune, however, Nagin said his thinking had evolved.
"The more I think about it, definitely race played into this,” he told the paper.
"How do you treat people that just want to walk across the bridge and get out, and they’re turned away, because you can’t come to a certain parish?" the embattled mayor complained. "How do resources get stacked up outside the city of New Orleans and they don’t make their way in? How do you not bring one piece of ice?
"If it’s race," said Nagin, "fine, let’s call a spade a spade, a diamond a diamond. We can never let this happen again.
"Even if you hate black people and you are in a leadership position, this did not help anybody,” he added.
No more money to this ungrateful racist bastard.
Why? the lying MSM is trying to lat all the
blame on President Bush and FEMA?...*this* story
is obviously a *state/city* clusterf*ckup.
The instance about people being turned away was a parish refusing to allow people to evacuate through their area. It does smack of racism.
Parishes are not closed via the evacuation plan, especially after the fact when the storm has passed. Roads are closed to influx traffic to the disaster area. Roads are closed to outbound traffic when the hurricane is within a certain distance to prevent loss of life on bridges, etc. as gale force winds approach. Roads are not closed after the storm has long passed to prevent people from exiting the disaster area. The parish that did this was not following an evacuation plan, it was following a plan of their own making, one that at the very least, discriminated against New Orleans residents.
perfect...
He didn't have any race issues when millions of white folks were enjoying the French Quarter and spending money like crazy, did he? What a jerk!
Your post does not address the context on the ground in New Orleans. I am sure that white AND black residents of the neighboring parish were grateful that their government and police force lived up to their responsibility to maintain order.... If only New Orleans had.
From CNN
Relief workers confront 'urban warfare'
Violence disrupts evacuation, rescue efforts in New Orleans
Thursday, September 1, 2005; Posted: 11:36 p.m. EDT (03:36 GMT)
A helicopter drops sandbags during efforts to repair a broken levee Thursday in New Orleans.
Image:
Save on All Your Calls with Vonage
When looking for local regional and long distance calling, use Vonage to make...
www.vonage.com MyCashNow - $100 - $1,500 Overnight
Payday Loan Cash goes in your account overnight. Very low fees. Fast decisions....
www.mycashnow.com Compare Mortgage Offers
Up to four free mortgage, refinance or home equity offers - one easy form.
www.nextag.com Refinance Rates Hit Record Lows
Get $150,000 loan for $720 per month. Refinance while rates are low.
www.lowermybills.com
RELATED
Gallery: After Katrina
• Gallery: The lost casinos
• Gallery: Citizen journalists
• E-mail us: Send storm stories
SPECIAL REPORT
• Interactive: Safety Tips
• Gallery: Top 10 worst hurricanes
• Flash: How hurricanes form
• Gallery: Saffir-Simpson scale
• Special ReportYOUR E-MAIL ALERTS
Louisiana
Mississippi
Disasters (General)
or Create Your Own
Manage Alerts | What Is This? NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Violence disrupted relief efforts Thursday in New Orleans as authorities rescued desperate residents still trapped in the flooded city and tried to evacuate thousands of others living among corpses and human waste.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown said his agency was attempting to work "under conditions of urban warfare."
Police snipers were stationed on the roof of their precinct, trying to protect it from armed miscreants roaming seemingly at will.
Officers warned a CNN crew to stay off the streets because of escalating danger, and cautioned others about attempted shootings and rapes by groups of young men.
"This is a desperate SOS," New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said in a statement Thursday afternoon, with thousands of people stranded at the city's convention center with no food, water or electricity -- and fading hope. (See video on the desperate conditions -- 4:36 )
With no food, no water and no transportation out of the city, about 200 of the former hotel guests wandered the streets and tried to set up a camp next to a police command center on Canal Street, where they hoped to get aid, protection and information, the couple said.
But officers told them they couldn't stay, they had no water for them, and they needed to get up on Highway 90, a bridge that spans the Mississippi River, and walk until they saw the rescue buses they promised would be waiting for them
These people were told to head out of the city towards the *South*, towards more evacuation areas, not out of the evacuation area.
Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson confirmed that his officers were under his orders to seal off the suburban city of 17,500 residents.
"We had individuals bused into Gretna and dropped off, and we had no idea they were coming. No one ever called us -- we have no shelter in Gretna, and our citizens were under a mandatory evacuation. This place was already locked down.''
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/09/BAGL1EL1KH1.DTL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RECORD OF CHANGE
DISTRIBUTION
PART ONE - GENERAL I. Summary II. Purpose III. Concept of Operations IV. Organizational and Assignment of Responsibilities V. Direction and Control VI. Plan Development and Maintenance VII. Authorities and References PART TWO - SITUATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS 8 I. Situations II. Assumptions PART THREE - SHELTER OPERATIONS 10 I. Concept of Operations II. Readiness III. Reception and Care IV. Mass Care PART FOUR - EVACUATION ROUTES I. Concept of Operations II. Procedures: Traffic Management PART FIVE - STAGING AREAS 14 PART SIX - EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM 14 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART SEVEN - ANNEXES ANNEX A TERMS TO KNOW ANNEX B SHELTER SECTOR A ANNEX C SHELTER SECTOR B ANNEX D SHELTER SECTOR C ANNEX E SHELTER SECTOR D ANNEX F SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST RISK AREAS ANNEX G TIME ESTIMATES FOR EVACUATION DECISIONS ANNEX H EVACUATION ROUTES TO SHELTER AREAS ANNEX I EVACUATION ROUTE MAP ANNEX J HURRICANE EVACUATION SIGN ANNEX K EAS OPERATIONAL AREAS MAP ANNEX L STATE OF EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION FORM ANNEX M CLASSIFICATION OF SHELTERS ANNEX N SHELTER STATUS REPORTING FORM ANNEX O LOCAL SCHOOL ATTENDANCE WAIVER ANNEX P NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AREA ANNEX Q NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AREA MAP ANNEX R LOUISIANA STATE POLICE SERVICE AREA ANNEX S LOUISIANA STATE POLICE SERVICE AREA MAP ANNEX T LOUISIANA DOTD SERVICE AREA ANNEX U LOUISIANA DOTD SERVICE AREA MAP ANNEX V LOUISIANA RED CROSS CHAPTERS ANNEX W LOUISIANA RED CROSS SERVICE AREA MAP ANNEX X SPECIAL NEEDS PLAN LOUISIANA SHELTER OPERATIONS PLAN HURRICANE EMERGENCIES PART ONE - GENERAL I. SUMMARY The Louisiana Shelter Operations Plan (Hurricane Emergencies) is intended to provide a framework within which the parishes can coordinate their actions with State Government in order to deal with a hurricane emergency. A catastrophic hurricane is defined as a Category 3 slow (5 mph or less forward speed) and Categories 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale of hurricane strength. Categories 1, 2 and 3 fast moving are considered less destructive The overall strategy for dealing with hurricane emergencies is to evacuate as much of the at-risk population as possible from the path of the storm and relocate them to a place of relative safety outside of the projected high water mark of the storm surge flooding and hurricane force winds. Risk Area (Sector D) is made up of the following parishes: Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson-Davis, Lafourche, Lafayette, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, and Vermilion. The Louisiana Shelter Task Force (LSTF), consists of those parishes that are not part of either the Southeast or Southwest Hurricane Risk Areas of the State. LSTF is made up of three (3) sectors which are as follow: Sector A: Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Winn, and Vernon. Sector B: Caddo, Bossier, Claiborne, Union, Lincoln, Morehouse, East Carroll, West Carroll, Richland, Madison, Tensas, Franklin, Ouachita, Jackson, Caldwell, Bienville, DeSoto, Red River and Webster. Sector C: Beauregard, Allen, Evangeline, St. Landry, Pointe Coupee, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, Tangipahoa and Washington. This plan prescribes an orderly procedure for the parishes to follow in response to a hurricane emergency. It does not replace or supersede any local plans, which are incorporated by reference, nor does it usurp the authority of any local governing body. This plan defines the problems inherent in sheltering the people affected by the evacuation. It prescribes the actions to be taken at each stage of the sheltering operation. II. PURPOSE It is the intent of this plan to establish guidelines for the direction, control and coordination for providing shelter, food, and other essential support services for people who have relocated from their normal residences due to the threat posed by a hurricane along the coast. III. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS A. When a hurricane enters or forms in the Gulf of Mexico, it is perceived as a threat to the Louisiana coast area. As the danger from the hurricane requires the initiation of emergency actions, the State Office of Emergency Preparedness and each parish in Sector D will activate Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and declare a state of emergency. The State and parishes will commence planned emergency operations and coordinate their actions, including activating and maintaining all means of communications The State, Risk Area and Shelter Area Parishes will cooperate to evacuate and shelter as many people as possible in accordance with the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the American Red Cross (ARC). B. Evacuation will be carried out in three phases, as follows: 1. Precautionary: This phase will concentrate on people who are most vulnerable to a hurricane and the effects of both water and wind. It is directed at offshore workers, persons on coastal islands, in wetlands areas, or aboard boats.
a. Sector A and C Parish EOCs will go to full alert status and declare a state of emergency. Sector B Parishes will remain on a stand-by status. b. Sector A and C Parishes will deploy parish emergency workers for traffic control, registration, and shelter and mass care operations. Sector B will alert parish emergency workers for traffic control, registration, and shelter and mass care operations. c. Sector A and C Parishes will activate local reception and care plans along with ARC and other community organizations. Sector B will alert ARC and other community organizations for mass care operations. d. Sector A and C Parishes will implement local emergency traffic control measures. Sector B Parishes will review traffic control measures and prepare to implement emergency traffic control. e. All parishes will have current road obstructions cleared on an emergency basis. f. Sector A and C Parishes will report status of parish operations, including shelter preparations, to LOEP every four hours. 2. Recommended Evacuation: This phase is enacted when a storm has a high probability of causing a significant threat to people living in the areas at risk. Parish and State Government authorities will recommend that persons at risk evacuate. The parishes will designate staging areas for persons needing transportation, if necessary. a. Sector A and C Parishes will maintain 24-hour operations. Sector B will begin 24-hour emergency operations. b. Sector A and C Parishes will maintain reception and care operations. Sector B Parishes will activate local reception and care plans. c. Sector A and C Parishes will maintain traffic control operations. Sector B Parishes will activate traffic control plans. d. Sector B Parishes will declare a state of emergency. e. All Shelter Area Parishes will report shelter capacity status by shelter name, location and evacuees accommodated every four hours to LOEP. (See Appendix O). 3. Mandatory: This is the final, most serious phase of evacuation. Authorities will put maximum emphasis on encouraging evacuation and limiting ingress. The State will assume responsibility for traffic control on designated state evacuation routes. a. All Shelter Area Parishes will maintain reception and care and traffic control operations. b. All Shelter Area Parishes will continue reporting status of shelters by shelter name, location, and evacuees accommodated every four hours to LOEP c. All Shelter Area Parishes will continue 24-hour EOC operations. C. Termination of Evacuation: The decision to stop evacuation operations will be made cooperatively between the State and Risk Area Parishes. Shelter Area Parishes will do the following: 1. Take precautions as necessary to prepare shelters and operating facilities for severe weather, depending on the intensity of the storm and its projected path. 2. Continue to report shelter status to LOEP at four hour intervals. D. Return to Risk Area: The decision to allow evacuees to return to the Risk Area after a hurricane has passed will be made cooperatively between the State and Risk Area Parishes. Shelter Area Parishes will do the following: 1. Continue shelter operations. 2. Continue to report shelter status to LOEP. 3. As shelters close, survey them for damages and report to LOEP. After the storm, recovery phase operations will be initiated in accordance with Louisiana Disaster Recovery Manual, which is part of the State Emergency Operations Plan. E. Long-term Sheltering: This will be established under the guidelines of LOEP, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and ARC. Long term shelter operations will be referenced in an appendix to be completed at a later date. IV. ORGANIZATIONAL AND ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES The organization and assignment of primary and secondary responsibilities are detailed in the State Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). Listed below are the key participants and their roles in the event of a catastrophic hurricane: A. Governor: 1. Proclaim a State of Emergency. 2. Issue supplementary declarations and orders, as the situation requires. 3. Authorize and direct the use of State Government personnel and other resources [like school buses] to deal with the emergency. 4. Authorize and direct the authorities of Host Area Parishes to coordinate the opening and operation of shelters with DSS in conjunction with ARC, and lend all possible assistance to the evacuation and shelter effort. 5. Request Federal/State Government assistance as needed. 6. [amendment] Blame Bush if you fail 1-5 above. B. Parish/Police Jury President: 1. Proclaim a State of Emergency. 2. Issue supplementary declarations and orders, as the situation requires. 3. Authorize and direct the use of Parish Government personnel and other resources to deal with the emergency. 4. [amendment] Blame Bush if you fail 1-3 above. C. Adjutant General/Director, Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness (LOEP) 1. Serve as the Governor’s executive agent and lead agency for the management of emergency and disaster operations. 2. Coordinate State operations. 3. Prepare and coordinate requests for assistance to other States/ Parishes and Federal/State government. 4. [amendment] Blame Bush if you fail 1-3 above. 4. Keep the Governor and the Legislature informed of progress and problems in dealing with the emergency or disaster. 5. [amendment] Blame Bush if you fail 1-4 above. D. Local Parish Directors: 1. Serve as the Parish President’s executive agent and lead agency for the management of emergency and disaster operations. 2. Coordinate local operations. 3. Keep the Parish President and Police Jury informed of progress and problems in dealing with the emergency or disaster. 4. [Amendment] Flee city, abondon responsibilities and blame Bush. E. Law Enforcement (Louisiana State Police, Sheriff’s, Local Police): Maintain order on evacuation routes and expedite the flow of traffic from Sector D Parishes to the Host Area shelters. 1. [Amendment] Abandon job, flee city, participate in looting, blame Bush F. Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and Local Parish and City Public Works: Assist in maintaining evacuation routes at full capacity. 1. [Amendment] Flee city and Blame Bush G. Louisiana Shelter Task Force (LSTF): Coordinate the opening of shelters in conjunction with ARC, DSS, and Local Parishes for evacuees from Risk Area Parishes and coordinate the flow of evacuees through the Shelter Area Parishes. 1. [Amendment] Blame Bush for anything you fail to do. H. Department of Social Services (DSS) and Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) The Department of Social Services will coordinate the opening and tracking of shelters in conjunction with ARC for evacuees from Risk Area Parishes. The Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) personnel not needed in Special Needs operations will assist with regular shelter operations as needed. 1. [Amendment] Flee city and Blame Bush I. Local Parishes: Conduct and control evacuation routes and manage reception and shelter operations in their parishes as specified in their EOPs in conjunction with this plan. 1. [Amendment] Flee city and Blame Bush You can add that amendment to the rest of this 59 page "plan" as well. You will notice that nwhere in this plan does it say sit back and wait for the federal government to do everything for you. It is the job of the Local government and stage to be the first responders in an emergency situation. If the Mayor and Governor could not do their job, they should have said so at the onset, then BUSH would have done the job for them. Jeb was waiting to assist as well. It's quite clear who dropped the ball here. Blaming Bush and FEMA can't hide the incompetence of NAgin and Blanco, and the rest of those who were responsible. A good lawyer will make some people rich.
oh yes they are. people are directed to the parishes,(or parish staging areas) on designated routes that are supposed to have the shelters. After the storm has passed, it's up to the State/local government to stand down the evacuation. This was not done. People are to stay in the shelters or evacuate along designated routes until it is called off as shown in the "plan" above. There is no racism despite how much you want there to be some. The police were simply directing the flow to the designated parishes.
Only if they let whites pass.
As he was entitled to do under the EOP "plan". This racism crap is just a smokescreen for Nagin and Blanco and the rest of the useless demoRAT party to hide behind.
Everyone should feel guilty because New Orleans has thousands of poor black people who cannot listen when they are told to evacuate? Many people do not appreciate the
help sent by volunteers and the government. Sounds like lots of people have amger and bad attitudes.
PART TWO - SITUATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS
I. SITUATIONS
A. Substantial portions of Louisiana are at risk from the threat of hurricanes. There is a significant possibility that hurricanes will strike the Louisiana coast and generate extremely strong winds, storm surge, and torrential rains in the Sector D Parishes.
B. The Southeast and Southwest Louisiana Hurricane Task Forces have identified areas that may need to be evacuated during hurricanes and routes to be used by evacuees. The LSTF has identified areas (sectors) to receive evacuees and routes to be used in the Shelter Area Parishes.
C. Heavy rains and tornadoes associated with a hurricane may also affect areas within the Louisiana Sheltering Area. Hence, local residents within the sheltering area may also seek public shelter.
D. Although local government has overall responsibility for shelter and mass care operations within its jurisdiction, ARC has been chartered under Federal law to provide mass care to victims of natural disasters.
1. The potential magnitude of hurricane evacuations requires the cooperative efforts of all local governments, State agencies, DSS and ARC in reception and care planning. 2. Governmental efforts will be coordinated with DSS and ARC. ARC will manage and conduct shelter operations within its capabilities.
Pursuant to pre-existing agreements, some facilities, equipment, and personnel of local governments, school districts, churches, and other agencies will be used to shelter and care for evacuees. In addition, ARC trains shelter management personnel. Local governments that do not conduct their shelter programs in coordination with ARC may bear the entire burden of responsibility for those programs.
[Amendment] In the event of complete failure, A) Blame Bush B) Play the race card. NEVER, under any circumstances accept reponsibility for your failures. II. ASSUMPTIONS [you know what they say about assumptions]
A. Hurricane advisories will be available from the National Weather Service/Hurricane Center.
B. All Parish Emergency Preparedness Offices in the State and LOEP will be in communication, coordinating actions with each other in all phases of the emergency. C. Inner-parish alerting and coordination activities with all departments and agencies having emergency responsibilities will occur. The functions necessary for alerting, coordinating, and the protecting of life and property will be accomplished in accordance with the EOPs in each parish. D. The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles.However, school and municipal buses and, where available, specialized vehicles will be used to transport those hurricane evacuees who do not have transportation. E. The normal operation of public agencies and private businesses in the Host Area Parishes will continue during a hurricane evacuation. However, there will be a curtailment of activities as required: F. A portion of the public will act in their own best interest and voluntarily evacuate the High Risk Areas before a recommended evacuation order. G. The need to evacuate could occur day or night, and there may be little control over the starting time due to the timing of the storm. Sheltering operations will be ready to start at any time on short notice. H. The majority of hurricane evacuees are expected to stay with relatives and friends or in commercial accommodations, rather than seek public shelter. I. Local facilities, pre-identified for use as last resort refuges, will be available when needed. These facilities are not intended to be shelters, but rather, facilities that are believed to be reasonably safe from the principle damaging effects of hurricanes without the amenities of a shelter. J. Civic, religious, and volunteer organizations that normally respond to emergency situations will cooperate in preparing for and conducting hurricane shelter and mass care operations. K. If local resources are exhausted or insufficient, support will be requested from LOEP through the guidelines in the EOP.
L. [Amendment] There will always be a Republican in Federal office to blame If A. through K. fail.
Yup.
Blanco is doing the same thing, and it is going to be fun to watch these two continue to throw each other under the bus without a snorkel.
Of course the buses will run on election day. They gotta get all those dems to the polls, again, and again, and again.
The truth is ALREADY coming out. Many of those who are enslaved to the Lamescream Fraudcast Media are either not hearing it, or refusing to believe it. But as with other situations (Swift Boat Vets v Kerry, Blogosphere v Bill Burkett/Mary Mapes/Dan Rather), the truth will prevail with those who make this country great.
Sort of like watching a train wreck in slow motion :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.