Maybe, but...
Friday, August 26
Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco declares a state of emergency for
the state of Louisiana [1].
[edit]
Saturday, August 27
Katrina is upgraded to a Category 3 hurricane.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin calls for a voluntary evacuation of the
city. The emergency plans rely on citizens to bring their own 3-day
supply of food and water to the Superdome and Convention Center.
Although current Louisiana Emergency Evacuation guidelines allow use
of public school buses, no idle school buses are used to transport
the poor." [2]
National Hurricane Director Max Mayfield and President Bush call on
mayor Nagin to declare a mandatory evacuation. [3] and [4]
Governor Blanco requests that President Bush declare a major disaster
for the State of Louisiana in a letter through FEMA Region VI
Director [5] Gary Jones [6]. In the 4-page letter, she makes specific
requests for aid (housing, counseling, unemployment, and Small
business funding) as well as requesting "direct Federal assistance
for work and services to save lives and protect property" (by
removing debris) and agrees to reduced liability [7] Note, Blanco's
letter was published on 27 August 2005 on Lexis Nexis but was dated
28 August 2005. Bush received the letter on Saturday and responded on
that same day -- see [8].
President Bush declares a state of emergency in Louisiana under the
authority of the Stafford Act [9]. The emergency declaration provides
for federal assistance and funding [10] The declaration does not
cover some parishes, including Jefferson Parish and New Orleans
(Orleans Parish) [11].
[edit]
Sunday, August 28
12:40AM CDT - Katrina becomes a Category 4 hurricane.
10AM CDT - National Weather Service issues a bulletin predicting
"devastating" damage.
10AM CDT - Mandatory evacuation is ordered for New Orleans City by
Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco[12] after having been requested the
previous day by National Hurricane Director Max Mayfield and
President Bush [13]. No public transportation is afforded the mostly
poor citizens contrary to what the disaster plans called for.
However, Nagin urged those people to seek rides with friends, family,
neighbors and church members. Those who could not find rides were
urged to get to the Superdome as quickly as possible. Regional
Transit Authority buses were scheduled to ferry people to the dome
from 12 locations around the city.
1PM CDT - Katrina becomes a Category 5 hurricane with a highest
sustained wind speed of 175 mph and gusts up to 215 mph. What
normally takes 2 hours to drive to central Louisiana, becomes a 10
hour crawl.
President Bush declares a state of emergency in Alabama [14] and
Mississippi [15], and a major disaster in Florida [16] under the
authority of the Stafford Act.
[edit]
Second landfall
[edit]
Monday, August 29
6:10AM CDT - Katrina makes second landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana
as a Category 4 Hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph
Katrina makes third landfall near Louisiana/Mississippi border.
8AM CDT - New Orleans: Rising water on both sides of the Industrial
Canal [17].
10AM MST President Bush appears at the Pueblo El Mirage RV Resort and
Country Club in El Mirage, Arizona for a Medicare event as the
huricane makes second landfall. [18] He adds, "I want to thank the
governors of the affected regions for mobilizing assets prior to the
arrival of the storm to help citizens avoid this devastating
storm." [19]
9AM CDT - New Orleans: 6-8 feet of water in the Lower Ninth Ward [20].
11AM CDT - New Orleans: 10 feet of water in St. Bernard [21].
2PM CDT - New Orleans officials publicly confirm 17th Street Canal
breach [22].
AP: "FEMA director Brown also urged local fire and rescue departments
outside Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi not to send trucks or
emergency workers into disaster areas without an explicit request for
help from state or local governments." Brown sought the approval from
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff five hours after
landfall to activate 1,000 Homeland Security workers into the region.
Brown acknowledges that this process will take two days. Brown's memo
to Chertoff described Katrina as "this near catastrophic event" but
otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, "Thank
you for your consideration in helping us to meet our
responsibilities." [23] [24]
Brown defines role of requested assigned personnel and additional aid
from the Department of Homeland Security: "Establish and maintain
positive working relationships with disaster affected communities and
the citizens ofthose communities. Collect and disseminate information
and make referrals for appropriate assistance. Identification of
potential issues within the community and reporting to appropriate
personnel. Convey a positive image of disaster operations to
government officials, community organizations and the general public.
Perform outreach with community leaders on available Federal disaster
assistance." [25]
President Bush declares a major disaster for Louisiana [26],
Mississippi [27], and Alabama [28] under the authority of the
Stafford Act.
[edit]
Immediate aftermath
[edit]
Tuesday, August 30
1:30AM CDT - CNN reports that a levee on the 17th Street Canal, which
connects into Lake Pontchartrain, suffered a two city-block wide
breach. It is later reported that a total of three levees are breached.
Noon CDT - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff becomes aware
that the New Orleans levee breaches cannot be plugged [29].
FEMA official Bill Lokey briefs the press that "I don't want to alarm
everybody that, you know, New Orleans is filling up like a bowl.
That's just not happening." [30]
10PM CDT - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announces that the planned
sandbagging of the 17th Street levee breach has failed.
80 percent of New Orleans is underwater.
Many instances of looting reported in the city of New Orleans.
FEMA refuses to allow volunteer firefighters into New Orleans.
USS Bataan was positioned near New Orleans prior to Katrina making
landfall, and begins relief operations.
The U.S. military moves additional ships and helicopters to the
region at the request of the FEMA. Hurricane Katrina gets downgraded
to a tropical depression. [31]
President Bush spends the day making a speech to commemorate the
ending of WWII at the North Island Naval Base in San Diego [32]
[edit]
Wednesday, August 31
President Bush heads back to Washington from vacationing at his ranch
in Crawford, Texas. Though he does not stop in Louisiana, Air Force
One flies low over the Gulf Coast so that he can view the
devastation. [33]
President Bush declares Gulf Coast a Public Health Emergency. [34]
Governor Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana orders that all of New Orleans,
including the Superdome, be evacuated.
First report of relief supplies delivered to Superdome.
New Orleans's 1,500 member police force is ordered to abandon search
and rescue missions and turn their attention toward controlling the
widespread looting and a curfew is placed in effect. Mayor Ray Nagin
calls for increased federal assistance.
The National Guard remain under their respective governors' control,
which enables them to provide law-enforcement support in the affected
regions -- something the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits active-duty
forces from doing within the United States. [35]
State workers begin work at closing 17th Street Canal breach, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers adds resources to the task.
11PM EDT - U.S. government weather officials announce that the center
of the remnant low of what was Katrina has been completely absorbed
by a frontal boundary in southeastern Canada, with no discernible
circulation. The remnants of the hurricane cause roads in northern
Quebec to be sectioned by heavy rainfall, isolating the north shore
communities for several days.
[edit]
Thursday, September 1
The national president of the American Red Cross, Marsha Evans,
requests to pass out food and water to those taking shelter at the
Superdome. The red cross is rebuffed by state officials because of
concerns over logistical difficulties. [36]
President Bush tells ABC's Diane Sawyer: "I fully understand people
wanting things to have happened yesterday" (ABC)
Governor Blanco says that the death toll may be "in the thousands".
National Guardsmen accompanied by buses (475 in all) and supply
trucks arrived at the Superdome.
Knight Ridder Newspapers reports "few buses" arrived at Superdome,
and about 5,000 refugees made it by bus to Houston's Astrodome.[37]
The shelter in Houston's Astrodome is ruled full and could not accept
any more people.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announces that 4,200
National Guard troops trained as military police will be deployed to
New Orleans over the next three days. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco
requests the mobilization of 40,000 National Guard troops.
California swift water rescue crew units each rescue hundreds in
Orleans and Jefferson parishes. [38]
FEMA halts California swift water rescue crews from conducting
further rescues. [39]
DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff is informed by NPR's Robert Siegel
during an interview on All Things Considered that 2000 people are at
the New Orleans Convention Center with no food or water. Chertoff has
no knowledge of the situation, and initially dismisses it as a rumor:
"I have not heard a report of thousands of people in the Convention
Center who don't have food and water. " [40]
Ted Koppel on ABC News Nightline interviews FEMA Director Brown who
declares that FEMA only became aware of crisis at the Convention
Center on this date. Koppel questions how FEMA could not have known
that 1,000s were without food, water, or toilets for days. [41]
Sealing of 17th Street Canal from lake with sheet pilings begins,
while closing breach continues.
[edit]
Friday, September 2
The Bush administration sent Gov. Blanco a proposed legal memorandum
asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New
Orleans. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks
throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable
to a federal declaration of martial law. [42] This matter may also
have been discussed in phone conversations between Pres. Bush and
Gov. Blanco.
Sheet piling blocks water flow into 17th Street Canal, making closure
of breach not relevant to city flooding; work on closing breach
continues for purposes of pumping.
Singer Kanye West goes off-script on NBC's "Concert for Hurricane
Relief" and says, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." [43]
[edit]
Sunday, September 4
The Superdome is completely evacuated.
[edit]
Second week aftermath
[edit]
Monday, September 5
17th Street Canal breach closed with truckloads of rock and sandbags.
Canal reopened so it can be used for pumping water out of city.
[edit]
Tuesday, September 6
Forced evacuation of New Orleans ordered by mayor.
"Hundreds of firefighters who volunteered to help rescue victims have
instead been playing cards, taking classes on the history of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency and lounging at an Atlanta
airport hotel for days while they await orders." Some had been
waiting for four days. [44] [45]
Some firefighters handed their first assignment: "to stand beside
President Bush as he tours devastated areas." [46]
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) calls for Michael D. Brown's
resignation. Representative Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid begin
to voice criticism of the disaster's handling, and of the Bush
administration's management, delegation of control, leadership, and
human consideration. [47]
[edit]
Wednesday, September 7
NBC news crew prevented from filming National Guard activities in New
Orleans, and a police officer points her weapon at members of the
media. [48]
[edit]
Thursday, September 8
President Bush issued an executive order suspending the Davis-Bacon
Act of 1931, allowing federal contractors rebuilding after Katrina to
pay below the prevailing wage.
[edit]
Friday, September 9
FEMA director Michael Brown is removed from directing Hurricane
Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans by Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff. He has been replaced by Vice Admiral Thad W. Allen,
chief of staff of the U.S. Coast Guard. (CTV.ca)
CNN blocks FEMA and other government agencies from interfering with
news coverage of recovery efforts with temporary restraining order. [49]
[edit]
Winsor
Long Beach, California, USA
On Sep 11, 2005, at 12:50 PM, James N. McBride wrote:
>
> I don't believe the statement that "there was no southern
> incompetence" as
> local activity by the Governor and the Mayor of NO was poorly
> planned and
> badly executed. Hanging all of the blame on the federal government is
> inaccurate and irresponsible. I believe future investigations will
> verify
> that there is plenty of blame to pass around. Whether one likes
> Bush or not,
> he made a timely declaration to get things started and it got worse
> from
> there. Opinions on this mess seem to be based on something other
> than facts.
> Yuk. /jmac
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