Re: ot Breach of a myth
- From: "Terraholm" <terraholm_SpamNot_@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 17 Sep 2005 21:57:04 GMT
David Goldberg wrote:
> jW wrote:
>
>
> By the way, why does Louisiana even bother to have a government?
KATRINA TIMELINE
Friday, August 26
GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA [Office of the Governor]
GULF COAST STATES REQUEST TROOP ASSISTANCE FROM PENTAGON: At a 9/1 press conference, Lt. Gen. Russel
Honoré, commander, Joint Task Force Katrina, said that the Gulf States began the process of
requesting additional forces on Friday, 8/26. [DOD]
Saturday, August 27
GOV. HALEY BARBOUR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN MISSISSIPPI [Office of the Governor]
5AM CDT - KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE [CNN]
GOV. BLANCO ASKS BUSH TO DECLARE FEDERAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA: "I have determined that
this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities
of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary
to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a
disaster." [Office of the Governor]
FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARED, (for wrong half of the state) DHS AND FEMA GIVEN FULL AUTHORITY TO
RESPOND TO KATRINA: "Specifically,
FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources
necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency." [White House]
Sunday, August 28
2AM CDT - KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE [CNN]
7AM CDT - KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE [CNN]
MORNING - LOUISIANA NEWSPAPER SIGNALS LEVEES MAY GIVE: "Forecasters Fear Levees Won't Hold Katrina":
"Forecasters feared Sunday afternoon that storm driven waters will lap over the New Orleans levees
when monster Hurricane Katrina pushes past the Crescent City tomorrow." [Lafayette Daily Advertiser]
9:30 AM CDT - MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES FIRST EVER MANDATORY EVACUATION OF NEW ORLEANS: "We're facing the
storm most of us have feared," said Nagin. "This is going to be an unprecedented event."
[Times-Picayune]
AFTERNOON - BUSH, BROWN, CHERTOFF WARNED OF LEVEE FAILURE BY NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER DIRECTOR: Dr.
Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center: "'We were briefing them way before
landfall. . It's not like this was a surprise. We had in the advisories that the levee could be
topped.'" [Times-Picayune; St. Petersburg Times]
4PM CDT - NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES SPECIAL HURRICANE WARNING: In the event of a category 4 or
5 hit, "Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer. . At least one-half of
well-constructed homes will have roof and wall failure. All gabled roofs will fail, leaving those
homes severely damaged or destroyed. . Power outages will last for weeks. . Water shortages will
make human suffering incredible by modern standards." [National Weather Service]
LATE PM - REPORTS OF WATER TOPPLING OVER LEVEE: "Waves crashed atop the exercise path on the Lake
Pontchartrain levee in Kenner early Monday as Katrina churned closer." [Times-Picayune]
APPROXIMATELY 30,000 EVACUEES GATHER AT SUPERDOME WITH ROUGHLY 36 HOURS WORTH OF FOOD
[Times-Picayune]
LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD REQUESTS 700 BUSES FROM FEMA FOR EVACUATIONS: FEMA sends only 100 buses.
[Boston Globe]
Monday, August 29
7AM CDT - KATRINA MAKES LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE [CNN]
8AM CDT - MAYOR NAGIN REPORTS THAT WATER IS FLOWING OVER LEVEE: "I've gotten reports this morning
that there is already water coming over some of the levee systems. In the lower ninth ward, we've
had one of our pumping stations to stop operating, so we will have significant flooding, it is just
a matter of how much." [NBC's "Today Show"]
MORNING - BUSH CALLS SECRETARY CHERTOFF TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATION: "I spoke to Mike Chertoff today -
he's
the head of the Department of Homeland Security. I knew people would want me to discuss this issue
[immigration], so we got us an airplane on - a telephone on Air Force One, so I called him. I said,
are you working with the governor? He said, you bet we are." [White House]
MORNING - BUSH SHARES BIRTHDAY CAKE PHOTO-OP WITH SEN. JOHN MCCAIN [White House]
11AM CDT - MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY REQUESTS THAT DHS DISPATCH 1,000 EMPLOYEES TO REGION, GIVES THEM
TWO DAYS TO ARRIVE: "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.'" [AP]
LATE MORNING - LEVEE BREACHED: "A large section of the vital 17th Street Canal levee, where it
connects to the brand new 'hurricane proof' Old Hammond Highway bridge, gave way late Monday morning
in Bucktown after Katrina's fiercest winds were well north." [Times-Picayune]
11AM CDT - BUSH VISITS ARIZONA RESORT TO PROMOTE MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT: "This new bill I signed
says, if you're a senior and you like the way things are today, you're in good shape, don't change.
But, by the way, there's a lot of different options for you. And we're here to talk about what that
means to our seniors." [White House]
4:30PM CDT - BUSH TRAVELS TO CALIFORNIA SENIOR CENTER TO DISCUSS MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT: "We've got
some folks up here who are concerned about their Social Security or Medicare. Joan Geist is with
us. . I could tell - she was looking at me when I first walked in the room to meet her, she was
wondering whether or not old George W. is going to take away her Social Security check." [White
House]
8PM CDT - RUMSFELD ATTENDS SAN DIEGO PADRES BASEBALL GAME: Rumsfeld "joined Padres President John
Moores in the owner's box.at Petco Park." [Editor & Publisher]
8PM CDT - GOV. BLANCO AGAIN REQUESTS ASSISTANCE FROM BUSH: "Mr. President, we need your help. We
need everything you've got." [Newsweek]
LATE PM - BUSH GOES TO BED WITHOUT ACTING ON BLANCO'S REQUESTS [Newsweek]
Tuesday, August 30
11AM CDT - BUSH SPEAKS ON IRAQ AT NAVAL BASE CORONADO [White House]
MIDDAY - CHERTOFF FINALLY BECOMES AWARE THAT LEVEE HAS FAILED: "It was on Tuesday that the levee-may
have been overnight Monday to Tuesday-that the levee started to break. And it was midday Tuesday
that I became aware of the fact that there was no possibility of plugging the gap and that
essentially the lake was going to start to drain into the city." [Meet the Press, 9/4/05]
PENTAGON CLAIMS THERE ARE ENOUGH NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS IN REGION: "Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di
Rita said the states have adequate National Guard units to handle the hurricane needs." [WWL-TV]
MASS LOOTING REPORTED, SECURITY SHORTAGE CITED: "The looting is out of control. The French Quarter
has been attacked," Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson said. "We're using exhausted, scarce police to
control looting when they should be used for search and rescue while we still have people on
rooftops." [AP]
U.S.S. BATAAN SITS OFF SHORE, VIRTUALLY UNUSED: "The USS Bataan, a 844-foot ship designed to
dispatch Marines in amphibious assaults, has helicopters, doctors, hospital beds, food and water. It
also can make its own water, up to 100,000 gallons a day. And it just happened to be in the Gulf of
Mexico when Katrina came roaring ashore. The Bataan rode out the storm and then followed it toward
shore, awaiting relief orders. Helicopter pilots flying from its deck were some of the first to
begin plucking stranded New Orleans residents. But now the Bataan's hospital facilities, including
six operating rooms and beds for 600 patients, are empty." [Chicago Tribune]
2PM CDT - PRESIDENT BUSH PLAYS GUITAR WITH COUNTRY SINGER MARK WILLIS [AP]
BUSH RETURNS TO CRAWFORD FOR FINAL NIGHT OF VACATION [AP]
Wednesday, August 31
1:45AM CDT - FEMA REQUESTS AMBULANCES THAT DO NOT EXIST: "Almost 18 hours later, [FEMA] canceled the
request for the ambulances because it turned out, as one FEMA employee put it, 'the DOT doesn't do
ambulances.'" [Wall Street Journal]
NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ARRIVE IN LOUSIANA, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA: Troops arrive two days
after they are requested. [Boston Globe]
TENS OF THOUSANDS TRAPPED IN SUPERDOME; CONDITIONS DETERIORATE: "A 2-year-old girl slept in a pool
of urine. Crack vials littered a restroom. Blood stained the walls next to vending machines smashed
by teenagers. 'We pee on the floor. We are like animals,' said Taffany Smith, 25, as she cradled her
3-week-old son, Terry. . By Wednesday, it had degenerated into horror. . At least two people,
including a child, have been raped. At least three people have died, including one man who jumped 50
feet to his death, saying he had nothing left to live for. There is no sanitation. The stench is
overwhelming."" [Los Angeles Times, 9/1/05]
PRESIDENT BUSH FINALLY ORGANIZES TASK FORCE TO COORDINATE FEDERAL RESPONSE: Bush says on Tuesday he
will "fly to Washington to begin work.with a task force that will coordinate the work of 14 federal
agencies involved in the relief effort." [New York Times, 8/31/05]
JEFFERSON PARISH EMERGENCY DIRECTOR SAYS FOOD AND WATER SUPPLY GONE: "Director Walter Maestri: FEMA
and national agencies not delivering the help nearly as fast as it is needed." [WWL-TV]
80,000 BELIEVED STRANDED IN NEW ORLEANS: Former Mayor Sidney Barthelemy "estimated 80,000 were
trapped in the flooded city and urged President Bush to send more troops." [Reuters]
3,000 STRANDED AT CONVENTION CENTER WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER: "With 3,000 or more evacuees stranded at
the convention center - and with no apparent contingency plan or authority to deal with them -
collecting a body was no one's priority. . Some had been at the convention center since Tuesday
morning but had received no food, water or instructions." [Times-Picayune]
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY DECLARED FOR ENTIRE GULF COAST: "After a natural disaster, short and
long-term medical problems can occur. Diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and mosquito-borne
illnesses tend to break out under these conditions." [WCBS-TV]
CHERTOFF "EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE RESPONSE" OF THE GOVERNMENT: "We are extremely pleased with the
response that every element of the federal government, all of our federal partners, have made to
this terrible tragedy." [Department of Homeland Security]
EARLY AM - BLANCO AGAIN TRIES TO REQUEST HELP FROM BUSH: "She was transferred around the White House
for a while until she ended up on the phone with Fran Townsend, the president's Homeland Security
adviser, who tried to reassure her but did not have many specifics. Hours later, Blanco called back
and insisted on speaking to the president. When he came on the line, the governor recalled, "I just
asked him for help, 'whatever you have'." She asked for 40,000 troops." [Newsweek]
4PM CDT - BUSH GIVES FIRST MAJOR ADDRESS ON KATRINA: "Nothing about the president's demeanor. -
which seemed casual to the point of carelessness - suggested that he understood the depth of the
current crisis." [New York Times]
7PM CDT - CONDOLEEZZA RICE TAKES IN A BROADWAY SHOW: "On Wednesday night, Secretary Rice was booed
by some audience members at 'Spamalot!, the Monty Python musical at the Shubert, when the lights
went up after the performance." [New York Post, 9/2/05]
8PM CDT - FEMA DIRECTOR BROWN CLAIMS SURPRISE OVER SIZE OF STORM: "I must say, this storm is much
much bigger than anyone expected." [CNN]
Thursday, September 1
7AM CDT - BUSH CLAIMS NO ONE EXPECTED LEVEES TO BREAK: "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach
of the levees." [Washington Post]
CONDOLEEZZA RICE VISITS U.S. OPEN: "Rice, [in New York] on three days' vacation to shop and see the
U.S. Open, hitting some balls with retired champ Monica Seles at the Indoor Tennis Club at Grand
Central." [New York Post]
STILL NO COMMAND AND CONTROL ESTABLISHED: Terry Ebbert, New Orleans Homeland Security Director:
"This is a national emergency. This is a national disgrace. FEMA has been here three days, yet there
is no command and control. We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail
out the city of New Orleans." [Fox News]
2PM CDT - MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES "DESPERATE SOS" TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: "This is a desperate SOS. Right
now we are out of resources at the convention centre and don't anticipate enough buses. We need
buses. Currently the convention centre is unsanitary and unsafe and we're running out of supplies."
[Guardian, 9/2/05]
2PM CDT - MICHAEL BROWN CLAIMS NOT TO HAVE HEARD OF REPORTS OF VIOLENCE: "I've had no reports of
unrest, if the connotation of the word unrest means that people are beginning to riot, or you know,
they're banging on walls and screaming and hollering or burning tires or whatever. I've had no
reports of that." [CNN]
NEW ORLEANS "DESCEND[S] INTO ANARCHY": "Storm victims were raped and beaten, fights and fires broke
out, corpses lay out in the open, and rescue helicopters and law enforcement officers were shot at
as flooded-out New Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday. 'This is a desperate SOS,' the mayor
said." [AP]
CONDOLEEZZA RICE GOES SHOE SHOPPING: "Just moments ago at the Ferragamo on 5th Avenue, Condoleeza
Rice was seen spending several thousands of dollars on some nice, new shoes (we've confirmed this,
so her new heels will surely get coverage from the WaPo's Robin Givhan). A fellow shopper, unable to
fathom the absurdity of Rice's timing, went up to the Secretary and reportedly shouted, 'How dare
you shop for shoes while thousands are dying and homeless!'" [Gawker]
MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY LEARNS OF EVACUEES IN CONVENTION CENTER: "We learned about that (Thursday), so
I have directed that we have all available resources to get that convention center to make sure that
they have the food and water and medical care that they need." [CNN]
Friday, September 2
ROVE-LED CAMPAIGN TO BLAME LOCAL OFFICIALS BEGINS: "Under the command of President Bush's two senior
political advisers, the White House rolled out a plan.to contain the political damage from the
administration's response to Hurricane Katrina." President Bush's comments from the Rose Garden
Friday morning formed "the start of this campaign." [New York Times, 9/5/05]
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES DEMAND THAT DHS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WORKER-SAFETY: "By Friday, experts and
officials from NIH, the Department of Labor and the Environmental Protection Agency began to make
frantic calls to the Department of Homeland Security and members of Congress, demanding that the
worker-safety portion of the national response plan be activated." [Wall Street Journal]
EARLY AM - BUSH WATCHES DVD OF THE WEEK'S NEWSCASTS CREATED BY STAFF WHO THOUGHT BUSH "NEEDED TO SEE
THE HORRIFIC REPORTS": "The reality, say several aides who did not wish to be quoted because it
might displease the president, did not really sink in until Thursday night. Some White House
staffers were watching the evening news and thought the president needed to see the horrific reports
coming out of New Orleans. Counselor Bartlett made up a DVD of the newscasts so Bush could see them
in their entirety as he flew down to the Gulf Coast the next morning on Air Force One." [Newsweek]
10 AM CDT - PRESIDENT BUSH STAGES PHOTO-OP "BRIEFING": Coast Guard helicopters and crew diverted to
act as backdrop for President Bush's photo-op.
10:35AM CDT - BUSH PRAISES MICHAEL BROWN: "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." [White House,
9/2/05]
BUSH VISIT GROUNDS FOOD AID: "Three tons of food ready for delivery by air to refugees in St.
Bernard Parish and on Algiers Point sat on the Crescent City Connection bridge Friday afternoon as
air traffic was halted because of President Bush's visit to New Orleans, officials said."
[Times-Picayune]
LEVEE REPAIR WORK ORCHESTRATED FOR PRESIDENT'S VISIT: Sen. Mary Landrieu, 9/3: "Touring this
critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant
effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again
this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily
prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw
were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment." [Sen. Mary Landrieu]
BUSH USES 50 FIREFIGHTERS AS PROPS IN DISASTER AREA PHOTO-OP: A group of 1,000 firefighters convened
in Atlanta to volunteer with the Katrina relief efforts. Of those, "a team of 50 Monday morning
quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside
President Bush as he tours devastated areas." [Salt Lake Tribune; Reuters]
12PM CDT - BUSH "SATISFIED WITH THE RESPONSE": "I am satisfied with the response. I am not satisfied
with all the results." [AP]
PM - FEMA'S NO. 2 OFFICIAL "IMPRESSED" WITH GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: "I am actually very impressed with
the mobilization of man and machine to help our friends in this unfortunate area..I think it's one
of the most impressive search-and-rescue operations this country has ever conducted domestically."
[Time]
Saturday, September 3
SENIOR BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL LIES TO WASHINGTON POST, CLAIMS GOV. BLANCO NEVER DECLARED STATE
OF EMERGENCY: The Post reported in their Sunday edition "As of Saturday, Blanco still had not
declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said." They were forced to issue a
correction hours later. [Washington Post, 9/4/05]
9AM CDT - BUSH BLAMES STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS: "[T]he magnitude of responding to a crisis over a
disaster area that is larger than the size of Great Britain has created tremendous problems that
have strained state and local capabilities. The result is that many of our citizens simply are not
getting the help they need." [White House, 9/3/05]
8:05PM CDT - FEMA FINALIZES BUS REQUEST: "FEMA ended up modifying the number of buses it thought it
needed to get the job done, until it settled on a final request of 1,335 buses at 8:05 p.m. on Sept.
3. The buses, though, trickled into New Orleans, with only a dozen or so arriving the first day."
[Wall Street Journal]
.
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