Criticism of the Government’s Response to Hurricane Katrina
Following Hurricane Katrina, outrage was one of the many feelings that survivors experienced. How could a disaster of this scale occur in one of the richest, most developed countries in the world? Why was relief so slow, and the attitude of government so seemingly apathetic about the plight of millions of people in the Gulf Coast region? Criticism has been made about the government with respect to Katrina, in many areas: its lack of preparation for such a natural disaster, its shoddy emergency evacuation, and its slow response afterwards.
Incomplete Preparation
The government’s initial failure came days, months, and years before Katrina stuck. A general lack of preparation exacerbated the storm’s impact and led to loss of life. A previous government exercise in which a simulated hurricane struck New Orleans shows that the government recognized the possibility of such a storm and the potential disaster it could bring. The real lessons from this exercise were never fully implemented, however.
Other blame goes to inadequate maintenance and reinforcement of the levees protecting the New Orleans area. The levees were not built to sustain Hurricane Katrina force winds, and the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the levees was spread between many government and private agencies. Furthermore, no warning system was in place to alert those in charge of breaches in the levees.
A Failure in Evacuation
The death toll from Katrina, which was just under 2,000, was ultimately caused by a failure to evacuate the entire population in the hurricane’s path in a timely manner. Although evacuations went relatively smoothly, a delay in a mandatory evacuation meant that many stayed in the path of Katrina until 19 hours before landfall. A lack of understanding about what the conditions would be like after Katrina caused the government to be slow in evacuating and rescuing individuals after the storm had passed.
Lack of Federal Preparation
The federal government delayed recognizing the significance of Katrina, and thus, considerably slowed the effectiveness of the National Response Plan, which was designed to be utilized in domestic disasters. President Bush did not receive adequate advice from his disaster counsel, and various federal agencies did not fully understand how to execute their role under the national plan.
FEMA Provided an Uncoordinated and Untargeted Response
FEMA was simply unprepared for a disaster on the scale of Katrina and was overwhelmed by the logistics of the situation. The supply chain of personnel and aid was not clear, and thus, resources weren’t dispersed in the most useful manner. Even before Katrina, FEMA had a record of lacking trained personnel to procure necessary services and supplies.
A Failure of Information
One of the crucial findings of the government’s bipartisan investigation into the Hurricane Katrina response pointed to a failure in the communication of information, especially between local, state, and federal governments. Local and state governments are largely responsible for deciding exactly how much relief and support they need, and reporting this to the federal government.
Source:
Executive Summary of Findings. (2006) Congressional Reports: H. Rpt. 109-377 – A Failure of Initiative: Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina.