For a year now, debate has raged over what happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The game of pass-the-buck started almost immediately, and it seems that President Bush, FEMA and DoHS got their fair share of the blame, and rightly so (you can get Michele Malkin's take here).
How Mayor "Chocolate City" Nagin and Governor Blanco dodged their fair share of the blame in this thing is nothing less than amazing, in my opinion. There was zero preparation on their parts, no workable disaster plans, insufficient training by first responders, etc. and people paid for that with their lives.
The federal response was slow in coming, but once rescue efforts started, they were nothing less than heroic by SAR crews, both military and Coast Guard. In the end, Nagin's claims of widespread rape, murder and cannibalism proved completely false, although New Orleans does continue to have one of the highest violent crime rates around. And I agree that race played a role in all of this, but not the way Nagin and assholes people like Kanye West would have you believe.
New Orleans was utterly unprepared for a disaster of this magnitude, as is much of America. When you build a city on the coast, below sea level, this will eventually happen. And now that we are spending billions of dollars to rebuild it, you can expect it to happen again.
The simple fact of Katrina - and with any disaster - is this: the government cannot protect you and you're on your own, at least in the short term.
The government - local police, fire, National Guard, DoHS, etc. - is responsible for public safety, not your safety. And when disaster strikes, their primary concern is infrastructure analysis, recovery and protection - not rescue. Now read that again.
If cops and firefighters responded to the first rescue situation they came across, they'd never get more than a few blocks from their stations. It looks horrible on TV, but the fact is that it's a waste of resources to respond that way. If a fire company, for example, stops to effect a rescue of three people with minor injuries, they won't be available to respond to the more serious need of a building collapse, with people trapped. It's all about establishing priorities.
Disaster preparedness is all about, well, being prepared. Local, sate and federal governments all need to have viable plans for prevention, evacuation, response, etc. and training and rehearsals are a must.
But none of that will help you.
When disaster strikes, make no mistake, you are on your own. And you need to be ready. Just ask those who survived Katrina. Review these resources and make sure that your family is ready for whatever any eventuality:
You can buy Red Cross Disaster Kits here.
For what it's worth, here are my tips:
- Have a plan and discuss it with all family members, especially children
- Have someone (friend/family member) out of your area to act as a contact point so family can be reunited
- Food, water, medicine and emergency supplies for every household member (and pets) for at least five days
- Detailed evacuation plan, including items you'll take with you (family pictures, insurance docs, birth certs, passports, etc.)
- Cell phones, flashlights, radio, candles, blankets, games for the kids, duct tape, first aid supplies and any necessary batteries
That's enough to get you started. And do it while it's still fresh in your mind.
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