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New Orleans Hurricane Evacuation Plan on city website calls for mandatory evacuation to begin 72hrs prior to hurricane arrival. Plan includes use of school and city buses, and other public vehicles to evacuate those without transportation.

Mayor call for evacuation 18 hrs before Hurricane Katrina hit, but only after Hurricane Center and White House pleaded for action.

Why did Mayor not have families of police and other emergency service personnel evacuated to safe locations.
Hard to get people to report and stay on duty when family is in danger.

From my past experience, it takes Guard 48-72 hours to get completely into the action. Why did the LA Gov not have a majority of Guard called up and ready to move out before cat 5 Hurricane Katrina hit.

The way I see it The Orleans Hurricane Evacuation Plan Was not implemented correctly. Which falls back on the City Officials in charge. If they had said Friday buses will be at locations so and so. The city will be fully evacuated (with exceptions of very sick or helpless who will be moved to a more secure area.) When a bus leaves it will be back in x number of hours. Any looters will be shoot on the spot (their is no need to loot food or water before or during the evacuation.)
The mayor is fully responsible for the failure. All the shouting is a smoke screen to CYA their PC failure. Somebody(s) need to be jailed for life over this big mess. And it is not BUSH nor any personal in Federal Office. Why the hell didn't the Governor of the state step in when he saw the foot dragging in the city of N.O. before the storm hit. Everyone saw the weather reports 24/7. Way before the storm hit the city. Why didn't the Media point out on Friday that N.O. was not following its Planned Evacuation? Now that would have been NEWS. One other question. Why didn't the Mayor of N.O. ask surrounding cits and towns for Transportation. Also at the same time request help from the locals to drive the buses in the city. With schools ready to start in Sept. Did the local schools have drivers all ready identified and routes lay ed out. I bet the school boards do not wait until 18 hours before school start to get the drivers needed for the school year.
Had the call gone out on Friday,using all available mass media. Their would have been more drivers then buses to drive. Bet city has a pool of city drivers too. All police cars have built in Bullhorns. Send them out asking for assistance to drive buses and to meet at so and so for assignments. Yes I agree much of what I stated my be considered hindsight. But maybe their is some foresight in it too. A OUNCE of PREVENTION is WORTH a POUND of CURE.
That whole mess up big time just pi$$es me off and makes my blood boil.