And yet you quoted it in full and proceeded to type out a long, irrelevant reply. Huh.
So now that you’ve read the Louisiana State Plan, how about reading the National Response Plan of the Department of Homeland Security. Here, I’ll give you some excerpts (all emphasis mine). . .
[quote]
Incidents of National Significance require the Secretary of Homeland Security to coordinate operations and/or resources, and may: [ul]
[li] Occur at any time with little or no warning in the context of a general or specific threat or hazard;[/li][li]Require significant information-sharing at the unclassified and classified levels across multiple jurisdictions and between the public and private sectors;[/li][li]Involve single or multiple geographic areas; [/li][li]Have significant international impact and/or require significant international information sharing, resource coordination, and/or assistance;[/li][li]Span the spectrum of incident management to include prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery;[/li][li]Involve multiple, highly varied hazards or threats on a local, regional, or national scale;[/li][li]Result in numerous casualties; fatalities; displaced people; property loss; disruption of normal lifesupport systems, essential public services, and basic infrastructure; and significant damage to the environment;[/li][li]Impact critical infrastructures across sectors;[/li][li]Overwhelm capabilities of State, local, and tribal governments, and private-sector infrastructure[/li]owners and operators;
[li]Attract a sizeable influx of independent, spontaneous volunteers and supplies;[/li][li]Require extremely short-notice Federal asset coordination and response timelines; and[/li][li]Require prolonged, sustained incident management operations and support activities.[/ul][/li][/quote]
[quote]
Under provisions of the Stafford Act and applicable regulations: [ul]
[li]A Governor may request the President to declare a major disaster or emergency if the Governor finds that effective response to the event is beyond the combined response capabilities of the State and affected local governments. [My Note: she did] Based on the findings of a joint Federal-State-local Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) indicating the damages are of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant assistance under the act, the President may grant a major disaster or emergency declaration. (Note: In a particularly fast-moving or clearly devastating disaster, the PDA process may be deferred until after the declaration.)[/li][li]If the President determines that an emergency exists where the primary responsibility for response rests with the Government of the United States, or because the emergency involves an area or facility for which the Federal Government exercises exclusive or preeminent primary responsibility and authority, the President may unilaterally direct the provision of assistance under the act and will, if practicable, consult with the Governor of the State.[/li][li]DHS can use limited pre-declaration authorities to move initial response resources (critical goods typically needed in the immediate aftermath of a disaster such as food, water, emergency generators, etc.) closer to a potentially affected area.[/li]<snip>
[li]In a major disaster or emergency as defined in the Stafford Act, the President “may direct any Federal agency, with or without reimbursement, to utilize its authorities and the resources granted to it under Federal law (including personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, and managerial, technical, and advisory services) in support of State and local assistance efforts…” [sections 402(a)(1) and 502(a)(1) of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. §5170a(1) and § 5192(a)(1)].[/ul][/li][/quote]
[quote]
III. Roles and Responsibilities
<snip>
As a State’s chief executive, the Governor is responsible for the public safety and welfare of the people of that State or territory. The Governor: [ul]
[li]Is responsible for coordinating State resources to address the full spectrum of actions to prevent,[/li]prepare for, respond to, and recover from incidents in an all-hazards context to include terrorism, natural disasters, accidents, and other contingencies;
[li]Under certain emergency conditions, typically has police powers to make, amend, and rescind orders and regulations;[/li][li]Provides leadership and plays a key role in communicating to the public and in helping people,[/li]businesses, and organizations cope with the consequences of any type of declared emergency
within State jurisdiction;
[li]Encourages participation in mutual aid and implements authorities for the State to enter into[/li]mutual aid agreements with other States, tribes, and territories to facilitate resource-sharing;
[li]Is the Commander-in-Chief of State military forces (National Guard when in State Active Duty or Title 32 Status and the authorized State militias); and[/li][li]Requests Federal assistance when it becomes clear that State or tribal capabilities will be insufficient or have been exceeded or exhausted. [/ul][/li][/quote]
I don’t have time to read through the whole rest of it right now, but I think you get the idea. Looks like neither plan was executed very effectively or efficiently. Colossal fuckups all the way around.