# What exactly did Bush do to prepare for Katrina hitting New Orleans. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 10, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946 "2005-09-10T03:53:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/1 "2005-09-10T03:53:09Z")
I read the following paragraph in [this NY times article](http://http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/25/national/24cnd-storm.html?ex=1126411200&en=8d9fe527971ccd40&ei=5070) before Katrina hit Florida. > [@](#): > > “The government is ready, we’re watching and we’re taking steps to make sure that people get to safe areas or take the proper precautions,” a White House spokesman, Trent Duffy, said in Crawford, Tex., where President Bush is vacationing. **"We’re also moving to ensure that all relief and recovery resources are in place so that these efforts can take place real time following any storm event."** [This article](http://http://www.perrspectives.com/blog/archives/000246.htm) details the preparation for the four hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004. > [@](#): > > # Hurricane Charley in August 2004 saw FEMA, **National Guard troops, relief supplies and President Bush on stand by before the storm even made landfall.** As the St. Petersburg Times reported on August 17th, 2004, “Governor Jeb Bush sought federal help Friday while Charley was still in the Gulf of Mexico. President Bush approved the aid about an hour after the hurricane made landfall.” Cargo planes flew FEMA supplies supplies from a Georgia Air Force base to a staging area in Lakeland, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had stockpiled 11 truckloads of water and 14 truckloads of ice. Guy Daines, the former Pinellas County director of emergency services, was pleased and impressed with the rapid response of the National Guard and the delivery of pre-positioned supplies, stating **"It amazed me how they got over 4,000 National Guard troops in there that quick. Rather than sit there and react, they are trying to get a jump-start on everything."** > > # **FEMA again prepositioned personnel, supplies, and equipment for the Frances,** which struck in the first week of September. A FEMA press release offered a **laundry list descriptio of preparations for Frances. 30,000 tarps, 100 truckloads of water and 100 truckloads of ice were already in place. Emergency medical teams and four urban search and rescue teams were already in place.** By September 6, 900,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s) were stockpiled in Jacksonville. President Bush himself got into the act, distributing ice to Florida hurricane victims with brother Jeb. > > #\*\* This performance was repeated for Ivan and Jeanne,\*\* which hit two and three weeks later, respectively. Again, FEMA was in place with food, ice, water, and financial aid in advance of the arrival of the storms. By September 29, FEMA was providing detailed daily updates on its relief eforts, including over $360 million in aid to individuals. This assistance was augmented by the IRS, which granted tax relief for Florida hurricane victims. What exactly was Bush’s preparation for Katrina hitting New Orleans? Were there prepositioned supplies and troops? Is there a discrepancy between how Bush gets involved in Florida hurricanes and how he reacted to Katrina in NO? ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/2 "2005-09-10T05:23:47Z")
Not sure but [National Geographic](http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature5/index.html) did a pretty good job describing the storm a year before it happened. Too bad nobody, including the Sate and Feds did much to prepare for it. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/3 "2005-09-10T09:22:00Z")
There were 10,000 National Guards troops sent and available on Friday, but they were not put into the city until the following Thursday, well after the young hoodlums had broken into the gun shops. In San Francisco after the '89 earth quake, they were all over the Marina District and other strategic locations in less than 48 hours after the quake. (cite: personal observation; they may have been there in 24 hours but I hadn’t circulated then.) I have seen increased police presence in areas **in anticipation** of civil unrest. Law enforcement professionals and disaster management professionals are aware that disasters are frequently followed by civil disorder. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/4 "2005-09-10T09:59:40Z")
Unfortunately for New Orleans, neither DoHS nor FEMA seem to employ disaster management professionals. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/5 "2005-09-10T14:31:45Z")
According to the Red Cross, in [this](http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html) item from their web site, the Red Cross had relief supplies for people in New Orleans. The Louisiana National Guard and local police would not allow the Red Cross to enter the city to distribute supplies. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/6 "2005-09-10T20:20:26Z")
Bush? Bush? What the hell did the state of LA and the city of NO do for the last 150 years or so to prepare? Why would anybody build and/or live in a city below sea level when it is common to have hurricanes and floods on the Mississippi every year, and then not have a viable evacuation plan? Next the liberals will be blaming Bush for not stopping Katrina or diverting it to Mexico! ---
**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/7 "2005-09-10T20:52:00Z")
> [@KlondikeGeoff](#): > > Bush? Bush? What the hell did the state of LA and the city of NO do for the last 150 years or so to prepare? Why would anybody build and/or live in a city below sea level when it is common to have hurricanes and floods on the Mississippi every year, and then not have a viable evacuation plan? > > Next the liberals will be blaming Bush for not stopping Katrina or diverting it to Mexico! That’s the old “junk yard dog” approach to a question. Don’t answer it-just redirect it away from the subject,speak through clenched teeth and hope folk forget what the question was! But,above all,-do NOT answer it! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/8 "2005-09-10T21:58:37Z")
MOved this one to Great Debates from General Questions. Somehow I just knew that political threads can’t be answered in a GQ setting. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/9 "2005-09-10T21:59:26Z")
> [@Ezstrete](#): > > That’s the old “junk yard dog” approach to a question. > > Don’t answer it-just redirect it away from the subject,speak through clenched teeth and hope folk forget what the question was! > > But,above all,-do NOT answer it! No. That’s pointing out an obvious bias in people’s comments. Why is everybody jumping on Bush and ignoring the mayor and governor, whose actions and inactions are at least as responsible for the tragedy as Bush’s, and likely moreso? (Why, for example, was the Louisiana National Guard _preventing_ people from leaving the city and preventing aid from entering? Could the state government have been hoping that a little more time might help them to get rid of a few more undesirables?) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/10 "2005-09-10T22:13:08Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Why is everybody jumping on Bush and ignoring the mayor and governor, whose actions and inactions are at least as responsible for the tragedy as Bush’s, and likely moreso? Why doesn’t **Diceman** read the other posts in the thread? > [@JXJohns](#): > > Too bad nobody, including the Sate and Feds did much to prepare for it. > [@CBCD](#): > > The Louisiana National Guard and local police would not allow the Red Cross to enter the city to distribute supplies. It would certainly be inaccurate to claim that **only** the Bush administration and federal agencies are responsible for mismanaging the disaster. But there’s nothing wrong with focusing a debate specifically on the topic of what the feds did wrong. If you feel it’s so important to balance this debate with a discussion about what state and local organizations did wrong, by all means feel free to start a new thread about it. But if you insist in hijacking this debate—which clearly is specifically about **Bush** ’s actions—you definitely give the impression of an apologist attempting to deflect attention from awkward questions, as **Ezstrete** pointed out. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/11 "2005-09-10T22:19:24Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Why is everybody jumping on Bush and ignoring the mayor and governor, whose actions and inactions… Because Mr. Bush sold himself as the responsibility president: [President Bush Pushes for Homeland Security Department](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/11/20021112-1.html) > [@](#): > > President Bush: > Our job – our government’s greatest responsibility is to protect the American people. That’s our most important job. And this requires Congress to create a new department of homeland security so we can better do our job. I think this work can be done soon. The Congress is coming back for a brief period of time. And in that period of time, they can get the job done. If they put their mind to it, they can get a job done on behalf of the American people. And I urge them to do so. [President Marks Homeland Security’s Accomplishments at Year One](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20040302-2.html) > [@](#): > > President Bush: > DHS is creating a national incident management plan, a strategy to make sure taxpayer’s money is wisely spent. Under this plan, first responders at all levels of government will know their responsibilities, will follow a clear chain of command, and will be able to work with each other effectively in a time of crisis. [The Department of Homeland Security](http://www.whitehouse.gov/deptofhomeland/sect1.html) > [@](#): > > The President’s most important job is to protect and defend the American people. Since September 11, all levels of government have cooperated like never before to strengthen aviation and border security, stockpile more medicines to defend against bioterrorism, improve information sharing among our intelligence agencies, and deploy more resources and personnel to protect our critical infrastructure. No one can sell themselves as the responsibility president, and then get off scott free when those responsibilities are badly muffed. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/12 "2005-09-10T22:51:49Z")
But don’t the local and state officials bear some (if not most) of the responsibilty for making sure their own state is buttoned up? New Orleans had a disaster plan in place, including how to use buses to evacuate those without transportation. It was not followed. The day after Katrina hit, the Coast Guard had already rescued [1200 people](http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20050908-090641-4058r.htm). Blame Bush for appointing an unqualified person to head FEMA. But you cannot ignore the incompetence at the local and state level. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/13 "2005-09-10T23:04:31Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > But don’t the local and state officials bear some (if not most) of the responsibilty for making sure their own state is buttoned up? Sure they do, but most of us americans never heard the governors of Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and the mayors of southern cities tell us over and over that their most important responsibility is to protect and defend the American people. > [@](#): > > Blame Bush for appointing an unqualified person to head FEMA. But you cannot ignore the incompetence at the local and state level. The blame goes a lot further than that. A robust emergency response system should be able to tolerate a few incompetents at the top. FEMA clearly can’t, and yes, the governors and mayors should have done better too; but when disaster comes to _my_ city, I’d like to have some confidence that my competent mayor won’t be fucked over by an incompetent federal bureaucracy. ---
**Author:** ![AFAIKnow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@AFAIKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AFAIKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/14 "2005-09-10T23:34:48Z")
What should he have personally done to prepare for Katrina? ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/15 "2005-09-11T00:26:37Z")
So why it is that when a FEMA report from before September 11, 2001 detailed: “the three most likely catastrophic disasters that could happen in the United States: a terrorist attack in New York, a strong earthquake in San Francisco, and a hurricane strike in New Orleans” that FEMA was shown to be so incompetant recently? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/16 "2005-09-11T01:12:19Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > The blame goes a lot further than that. A robust emergency response system should be able to tolerate a few incompetents at the top. FEMA clearly can’t, and yes, the governors and mayors should have done better too; but when disaster comes to _my_ city, I’d like to have some confidence that my competent mayor won’t be fucked over by an incompetent federal bureaucracy. Do you consider Nagin to be competent? ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/17 "2005-09-11T01:22:22Z")
> [@CBCD](#): > > According to the Red Cross, in [this](http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html) item from their web site, the Red Cross had relief supplies for people in New Orleans. The Louisiana National Guard and local police would not allow the Red Cross to enter the city to distribute supplies. Interesting. if the state or local gov’t was acting in a manner that would prevent aid from getting in then it is the job of the commander in chief to over-ride that decision. bush has shown himself to be willing to step in an steer state legislation (e.g., schaivo case) and to either be unaware or silent in the case of NO is inexcusable. or am i misinterpreting the duty of “commander in chief” which appears to presently mean “ignore the details and delegate to incompetent nepotismically-appointed friends”? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/18 "2005-09-11T01:37:14Z")
It is not that simple for presidents to “step in” as you say. [President Bush would have had to invoke the Insurrection Act](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/09/national/nationalspecial/09military.html?ei=5090&en=aa642b8c89c27c01&ex=1283918400&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1126238795-dGCl9WlaN8lbkCHBy9hw2w&pagewanted=print) to take control from Gov. Blanco. The Schiavo matter was not a state vs. federal issue. It was a private matter that got dragged through the courts, and while the federal gov’t tried to get involved, courts ultimately decided they had no jurisdiction (IIRC) in the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/19 "2005-09-11T02:31:57Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Do you consider Nagin to be competent? As you said in [xtisme’s thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=334367), he’ll probably lose the next election. Perhaps he should, but that means little to me a thousand miles away as I am. He can’t keep the red cross out of my town, or whatever, but Bush, Homeland Security, and FEMA can. That makes their screwups more important to me than Nagin’s screwups. I think we both agree that there are plenty to go around. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946/20 "2005-09-11T03:20:36Z")
Not sure if [this](http://www.factcheck.org/article344.html) has been cited yet in this debate, but thought I’d give Factcheckers take on the levee failure aspects of Katrina. > [@](#): > > Summary > > Some critics are suggesting President Bush was as least partly responsible for the flooding in New Orleans. In a widely quoted opinion piece, former Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal says that “the damage wrought by the hurricane may not entirely be the result of an act of nature,” and cites years of reduced funding for federal flood-control projects around New Orleans. > > Our fact-checking confirms that Bush indeed cut funding for projects specifically designed to strengthen levees. Indeed, local officials had been complaining about that for years. > > It is not so clear whether the money Bush cut from levee projects would have made any difference, however, and we’re not in a position to judge that. The Army Corps of Engineers – which is under the President’s command and has its own reputation to defend – insists that Katrina was just too strong, and that even if the levee project had been completed it was only designed to withstand a category 3 hurricane. Anyway, I just wanted to add this to the mix if it hasn’t been already. -XT [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-bush-do-to-prepare-for-katrina-hitting-new-orleans/320946.md?page=2)