Three years after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, another dangerous storm is headed that way.
Ready or not?
Hurricane Gustav is going to test just how much things have changed in three years.
Who can forget the images?
People waiting in line at the New Orleans Superdome in inhumane conditions, to be taken out of the flooded-out city.
The levees failed and FEMA failed.
Here's some quick facts about Katrina, and the "progress" made in its aftermath:
*** The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has spent billions of dollars repairing New Orleans' levees. But, the levees are still leaking and recent reports suggest some of them may not be ready to withstand another major storm.
*** Tens of thousands of people are still living in FEMA trailers. By the way, many of those trailers tested positive for high levels of the chemical formaldehyde.
*** A CNN report from June revealed that FEMA warehoused $85 million dollars worth of household goods for Katrina survivors for two years, before just giving them away as surplus property (A sign that FEMA still doesn't have its act together).
*** FEMA chief, Michael Brown, stepped down (He certainly wasn't doing a heckuva job). He's since been replaced by David Paulison, who plans to resign sometime before President Bush leaves office in January.
*** More than 1,800 people died as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Most of the deaths were in New Orleans.
*** Roughly 1/3 of New Orleans' residents moved elsewhere after the storm. But even after that life-changing ordeal, thousands returned to their homes to rebuild. Now, they're being forced to evacuate again.
Will things be different for Hurricane Gustav?
Let's hope so.
President Bush and Vice President Cheney have cancelled appearances at this week's Republican National Convention, to head to the Gulf Coast.
1.9 million people have already fled the Gulf Coast, under widespread mandatory evacuations.
In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin declared a state of emergency only two days before Katrina hit. This time, the city applied for federal aid six days before Gustav is expected to make landfall.
What do you think? How has the federal and local response been for Gustav, so far?
Comments (1)
I haven't a clue why anyone would actually want to live in NO anyway. ICKY, STICKY , SMELLY.
Posted by Mikey | September 2, 2008 12:58 PM
Posted on September 2, 2008 12:58