President George Bush's Response To Hurricane Katrina

On August 29th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic damage and flooding in Mississippi, Louisiana, New Orleans and areas in between. It destructed the lives and homes of thousands of people, with a total of 1,883 fatalities (Hurricane Katrina Statistics Fast Facts, 2015). Hurricane Katrina left many homeless and hospitals unprepared for the challenges posed to the healthcare system as a whole. Some of these challenges included gaining access to healthcare facilities, providing expedited care to those most in need, and preventing spread of disease that commonly occurs during natural disasters. Many facilities did not evacuate in time and many were left stranded in flooded waters as patients conditions worsened and access to essential medications and treatments became limited.

and federal funds. Soon after, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin ordered an evacuation of all

On the morning of August Twenty-ninth, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region. The storm brought the water to about twenty feet high, swallowing eighty percent of the New Orleans city immediately. The flood and torrential rainstorm wreaked havoc and forced millions of people evacuate from the city. According to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, Katrina caused approximately one hundred and eight billion dollars in damage. Hurricane Katrina was one of the most destructive disasters have ever occurred in the United States, but it also revealed a catastrophic government at all levels’ failure in responding to the contingency.

As the Gulf States begin the massive task of reconstruction after Hurricane Katrina, the nation is actively engaged in a dialogue concerning the lessons learned from this catastrophe, and the best options moving forward. Many are asking whether the aid package and policies proposed by President Bush are the right approach to rebuilding and restoring the region. While the hurricane shines a much needed spotlight on a number of societal issues, it is crucial that programs initiated in the storm¡¦s aftermath have the desired effect¡Xnot just regionally, but on a national scale. The devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina has raised other, more general public policy issues about emergency

After reviewing the problems caused, what type of assistance should the citizens of New Orleans have expected from the federal government?

Even though it is the responsibility of the federal and state governments to aid citizens during times of disaster, the people devastated by Hurricane Katrina were not effectively facilitated as according to their rights as citizens of the United States. The government’s failures to deliver assistance to citizens stem from inadequate protection systems in place before the storm even struck. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security were the two largest incumbents in the wake of the storm. The failure of these agencies rests on the shoulders of those chosen to head the agency. These directors, appointed by then president George W. Bush, were not capable of leading large government agencies through a

Within the political environment there are pre-existing issues that affected the Katrina crisis and made it worst. The main issue was that of constitutional power and whether in this case Bush should seize that power. Federal, state and local powers are divided and in general state that whatever the federal government is not entrusted with the state will handle to their abilities. When issues of national importance arise the federal government can take power under the Supremacy Clause but must be justified under national importance. Though the nation as a whole may have wanted the federal government and its resources to take over Bush’s office may have faced a congressional backlash. Another issue of historical value is that of sovereignty,

In a time of crisis, the government response to the situation at hand was poor and inefficient. There were numerous flaws and errors in the relief plan proposed to the government which in turn led to delayed relief to victims in need. The immediate response phase after Katrina lasted roughly 12 days. During this time, “victims were evacuated, rescued, sheltered, and received medical care from first responders, charities and other non-governmental organizations, and private citizens”(McNeill, 2011). The fact that the U.S. government organizations were not the first responders to the disaster is shameful for our country.

First, the horrific events of Katrina were devastating to the citizens who were affected by this massive hurricane. Many people lost just about everything they owed and some even lost their lives. The federal government could have implemented a better strategy on how to take care of those affected. Before the hurricane made landfall, the state government should have put martial law in affect and deployed the National Guard to force people to leave their homes and seek shelter outside of the city or area that was going to be hit the hardest. The news networks should have sent out better information and outlined the hurricane evacuation routes more effectively. The people who were left behind and survived the hurricane should have been provided

Tariq HollandsworthURST 241Anthony PratoTHE STORMWhat government leaders, agencies, and officials were responsible for the political falloutof Katrina?● FEMA director Michael Brown gave a false and misleading statement about theeffort and effectiveness given by the president and governor to the public. Makingthe situation look as though it were being taken care of. He also said thegovernment just learned about the information “today”. Also says he couldn’thelp because he says the people didn’t ask exactly what they needed or a list ofpriorities. FEMA didn’t deliver any of the requests specifically from the 45 pagerequest sheet. Also the president didn’t make enough effort or initiative afterKatrina. It took the president 6 days

Critics claim that the government’s mismanagement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is to blame for the disappointing relief efforts. FEMA has been accused of taking too long to act and then for not even having a plan of action. Many people agree that the agency had no idea of just how much damage the storm caused and failed to accurately prepare for such a catastrophe (“Hurricane Katrina”, 2015). Senator Joseph Liberman stated, “’Government failures preparing for and responding to Hurricane Katrina allowed much more human suffering and property destruction to occur than should have. That is the sad and stunning fact’” (Shoup, 2005). Local officials accused FEMA of inadequate communication practices and lack of leadership. The Louisiana Governor complained saying, “’we wanted helicopters, food and water. They wanted to negotiate an organizational chart’” (Shoup, 2005). There were even “reports of FEMA turning down personnel and supplies offered by police forces and emergency crews” (Shoup, 2005). The director of the agency, Michael Brown came under a lot of fire for his execution of the relief efforts. His defense was simple: “no one could have prepared for the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing flooding of New

Hurricane Katrina by History.com Staff, the morning on August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina struck the Golf Coast of the United States. Hurricane Katrina was a category 3 rating hurricane scale with winds of 100-140 miles per hour, the damage was devastating. Katrina also affected the areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama hundreds of people had to evacuated their homes because of the enormous power of the storm. Not to mention, that before Katrina hit the meteorologist kept warning the people in the Gulf Coast. New Orleans was at specific danger since hurricanes have flooded the city before during the 20th century. Equally important, the day Katrina hit, “Mayor Ray Nagin issued city’s first-ever mandatory evacuation order... he also declared

When the gale force winds and extreme storm surges brought by Hurricane Katrina slammed headlong into the Gulf Coast on August 29th, 2005, the damage caused by the catastrophic weather event was not limited to the swamped buildings of New Orleans and the sunken dreams of its residents. In just over a week's worth of time, Hurricane Katrina swept away the shared sense of trust that the American public placed in its government, and exposed the institutional mismanagement inherent to federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Due to communication breakdowns between local, state and federal officials, inefficient deployment of critical resources and equipment, and a startling unwillingness to cooperate for the common cause of public safety, over 1,800 people lost their lives and more than $80 billion in property damage was incurred. The complex chain of events presented within Case Study 3.1, entitled The Katrina Breakdown, demonstrates both the sheer enormity of coping with such a destructive natural disaster, and the gross negligence displayed by the public officials charged with employing the means of disaster management. By comparing the various actions and directives of the "five government officials … who were criticized for their response to the disaster: New Orleans Mayor Ray C. Nagin, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, FEMA Director Michael Brown, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, and President

Hurricane Katrina left the world, and of course America, wondering what happened and how could a situation like this occur? From beginning to the very end the level incompetence and disregard for people was astonishing. Several rap artists, political analysts, media contributors, and eye witnesses were vocal about their outrage of the situation and how disturbing it was to watch most of the population of the city, which was black, suffer and be subjected to these harsh and inhumane conditions for so long a period without any real relief or help. Not only did this controversy show the utter lack of ability to handle a natural disaster of a hurricane, it also showed the level of respect and consideration from the Bush administration at the time.

Natural Disaster have affected many cities across the world in so many different countries but the one incident that stands out to me is the natural disaster that took place in New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans stood out to me because it my favorite city in the United States that I have visited due to its rich culture and history going back to the slavery days being the main import location. Also, New Orleans is the city in which two of my uncles currently live and have been living in for the past 20 years. This incident went by the name of Hurricane Katrina and would leave a devastating impact on The Big Easy.