# Did the President only declare a state of emergency in the non-coastal areas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-president-only-declare-a-state-of-emergency-in-the-non-coastal-areas/320851 "2005-09-09T17:32:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-president-only-declare-a-state-of-emergency-in-the-non-coastal-areas/320851/1 "2005-09-09T17:32:23Z")
I found [this](http://www.bobharris.com/content/view/637/1/) interesting map purporting to show that President Bush’s declaration of emergency in Louisiana before Hurricane Katrina hit didn’t apply to the coastal areas of the state. The map is based on the parishes mentioned in the [original declaration](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html). Is this really true? Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-president-only-declare-a-state-of-emergency-in-the-non-coastal-areas/320851/2 "2005-09-09T18:14:22Z")
> [@zev\_steinhardt](#): > > Is this really true? Something more than meets the eye is going on here. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-president-only-declare-a-state-of-emergency-in-the-non-coastal-areas/320851/3 "2005-09-09T18:22:50Z")
I wonder if [this](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050823-3.html) federal assistance (relating to Tropical Storm Cindy) to several of the parishes in the New Orelans area made it unnecessary for them to be included in the later declaration? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-president-only-declare-a-state-of-emergency-in-the-non-coastal-areas/320851/4 "2005-09-09T18:26:22Z")
Also, this [further Katrina-related declaration](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050908-5.html) seems to list all of the parishes correctly. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-president-only-declare-a-state-of-emergency-in-the-non-coastal-areas/320851/5 "2005-09-09T18:28:15Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Also, this [further Katrina-related declaration](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050908-5.html) seems to list all of the parishes correctly. Wooo, that’s world-domination for you…an incorrect link to [whitehouse.gov](http://whitehouse.gov) sent me to [microsoft.com](http://microsoft.com)!!! Correct link - [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050908-5.html](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050908-5.html) ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-president-only-declare-a-state-of-emergency-in-the-non-coastal-areas/320851/6 "2005-09-09T19:47:38Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Also, this [further Katrina-related declaration](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050908-5.html) seems to list all of the parishes correctly. Note that your declaration is from September 8, a week after the storm. The one cited by the OP is from two weeks earlier. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-president-only-declare-a-state-of-emergency-in-the-non-coastal-areas/320851/7 "2005-09-09T19:49:52Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Note that your declaration is from September 8, a week after the storm. The one cited by the OP is from two weeks earlier. I realize that. I can’t account for what’s in the first release. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-president-only-declare-a-state-of-emergency-in-the-non-coastal-areas/320851/8 "2005-09-10T01:08:19Z")
Looking at the FEMA website, I see a disaster declaration for Cindy on 8/23 and one for Katrina on 8/29, right at about the same time disasters were declared in Mississippi and Alabama.