Bush Admin Refuses To Release Report On Gaps In Nation's Hurricane Preparedness

Times-Picayune:

The state of Louisiana and the Bush administration are refusing to disclose analyses that would let the public know where gaps exist in the government's hurricane preparation and response plans, including evacuation, medical services and shelters.

Citing national security concerns, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has refused to turn over "gap analyses" conducted on 18 coastal states, from Maine to Texas, that are susceptible to hurricanes. FEMA officials say that because the reviews discuss "critical infrastructure," they are not available to the public under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

Read the whole story: Times-Picayune

Comments

[CrazyLiberal]

Not only is the bush administration incompetent, corrupt and dangerous, they're stupid and crazy enough to start WWIII.

National security concerns? Yeah right!

[darker]

There is no hurricane or anything else "preparedness".

Bush-Cheney are always prepared to SHOVEL YOUR TAX DOLLARS into pockets of corporate opportunist profiteers after each and every disaster and continuing wars [iraq, afghanistan].

War, disasters--PAY OFF!
the corporate welfare queens are getting richer than rich!

[MissingAmerica]

To release the full report does not allow them time to make up another lie. They are incompetent, and that is abundantly clear.

[TheBurritoAssassin]

hmmmm, very interesting

[instagladiator]

Just another example of The Commander Guy and his croanies covering their butts. When WILL America wake up and REVOLT REVOLT REVOLT??
Through his backers, he's bought off nearly everyone in the congress, why else does he get his each and every request for MOE MONEY MOE MONEY MOE MONEY!! The government is not concerned with "WE THE PEOPLE" which should have been evident in the 2000 elections. If the plans were made available to the public, the terrorists would easily gain the knowledge to be able to use their man-made remote controlled hurricanes to strike our weakest areas! Oh dear me....

[realitytrumpsbull]

If you build on a flood plain, don't act shocked
when the tenants start calling about the indoor
pool problem...I'm astounded and amazed that
ANY building permits get issued in high-risk
areas for structures that can't withstand the
elements. I had one picture a friend emailed
me, it was of this lighthouse in the process
of just getting inundated by this wave, it
was taken from an airplane, and you can just
see this guy standing in front of the door at
the bottom, as the water curls around both
sides, coming toward him. How'd you like to
do THAT job? LOL

Anyway, point is, something like that is
designed to withstand the worst punishment
that Nature can throw at it. If only similar
forethought went into the design and construction of people's homes, some
disaster resistance built in, there, something
as basic as a 10-foot cinder block wall that's
been waterproofed, that kind of thing. Cinder
block isn't that expensive, and if people had
had that kind of stuff in Nawlins, then they could have weathered out the flood somewhat
better, I think. Matter of fact, you build
the whole place out of cinder block, put
one of those corrosion-treated steel roofs
on it, you've got something that'll hang
together pretty well, barring anything
but a big quake or a tornado, I think,
and they've done things like dome homes
made out of concrete that'll put up with
quite a bit of nasty weather. Concrete
is the modern liquid stone, you build something
that durable, you can stand back and say, 'mi casa EST'. Sure beats another cheap piece of
crap mobile home...

[amerdiaspora]

WELL IF HE REALEASED THIS THEN THE HURRICAINS WILL KNOW WERE AND HOW TO ATTACK US

DON'T YOU GET ANYTHING ABOUT THE WAR ON TERROR?

[gevan]

If the plans were to be released to the public, the hurricanes would learn where our infrastruture was vunerable and attack us there.

[TheQuestion]

They may have a point - but the way they have acted recently it makes it look like they are more covering thier own asses.

[TheQuestion]

Coming to think about we already know where the biggest gap is. The national guard is in Iraq.

[Dondowolfe]

The biggest gap is between Chimpy's ears.

[blurredtruth]

The Katrina problem was and still is a local and state problem. We don't hear anything about Mississippi but plenty about New Orleans. Many citizens had lived in poverty since the 1960s with no improvement. Nagin and Blanco dropped the ball. Unfortunately Bush was stupid enough to appoint Brown and then accept federal responsibility for Katrina. Not very bright on his part but a part of his socialist agenda.

[HumeSkeptic]

Not very bright on his part but a part of his socialist agenda-blurredtruth
--------------


Bwahahahahahahaha!

You must be a fan of that lunatic Ron Paul.

[shockmagog]

Wrong again, blurredtruth.

As the president declared a major disaster declaration on October 24th for the California fires:

'White House press secretary Dana Perino said the federal government is applying lessons learned from the Katrina relief controversy that deeply damaged Mr. Bush's presidency, by talking more quickly with local officials and getting the word out to the public faster.'

'"There's increased coordination and communication and earlier communication and coordination between the federal, state and local governments," she said. "We have learned those lessons and those lessons are being applied."'
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/24/national/main3401366.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_3401366

The role the federal entity, the Army Corps of Engineers played in the New Orleans hurricane-related flood disaster:

'Everybody at least thinks they know about the role FEMA played, or mis-played, in the response to the Katrina disaster in New Orleans. What many people still don't realize is the role the US Army Corps of Engineers played in designing that disaster.'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20071020/cm_huffpost/069237

From the Washington Post on March 25, 2006:

'Corps officials initially said they had never known a levee to fail this way, and they suggested that no one could have predicted it. But the civil engineers panel said yesterday that the failure was foreseen by the Corps' own studies, dating to the mid-1980s. It said the Corps' failure to anticipate the problem reflected an "overall pattern of engineering judgment inconsistent with that required for critical structures."'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/24/AR2006032401819.html

[Dondowolfe]

Why don't we hear anything from Mississippi? Haley Barbour(sic) has greased the palms of all those that would normally expose corruption. Haley is one of Bushies favorite propagandist. Billions were sent to Barbours state to make sure the rich and powerful would prosper. Remember, Mississippi is a RED state, Louisiana was blue. Rich whites vs. poor blacks, Who do you think Bush cares about more?
The majority of those hurt by the California fires were either wealthy of upper-middle class pro-republicans. But, thre real irony is that it wasn't Bush or the federal government who came to their rescue, it was liberal-minded Californians that provide the most volunteer-based support. Bush is a failure and a psychotic.

[1man1voicenovote]

A true exercise in futility.