Just before Gustav hammered us, Rachel Maddow was bluntly vocal and is still morally outraged about the Republicans naming their VP pick on the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Watch the video clip from the DNC:

The Republicans have failed America, period. What about the other infrastructure failures that continue to plague America? Our infrastructure is third-world rate now because the Reagan administration stopped putting the necessary federal investments into it in the 1980′s. Just look at our electrical grid if you doubt that. Wind has tens of thousands of people without power in Michigan right now. Two weeks ago, most of the North East was crippled by a huge snow and ice storm and knocked out power in several states for several days in sub-freezing temperatures. The entire Hawaiian island of Oahu lost power after a strong thunderstorm this past weekend.

One-thousand eight-hundred American people died as a result of Hurricane Katrina. About 80 died as a result of Hurricane Ike this past September 12. The following video clip was made on December 1, 2008:

FEMA is still a disaster of a federal department more than 3 years after Katrina. If you got sick from living in a FEMA trailer after Katrina or Rita, here’s why:

And

Will the Obama Administration help to get federal investment back into infrastructure? God, I hope so. This is a heartening sign:

Technorati Tags: Eugene Robinson, FEMA, Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, infrastructure failure, Keith Olbermann, MSNBC News, Nora O'Donnell, Pat Buchanan, Rachel Maddow, Third Anniversary

When Hurricane Gustav was hammering us here in South Louisiana on September 1, 2008, especially in the Baton Rouge area, the Republican National Convention was starting in Minnesota.

Our governor, Bobby Jindal, was supposed to attend, President Bush had planned to attend, but when Gustav headed this way, Governor Jindal stayed home here along with Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Cherthoff, and President Bush road out the storm in Crawford, TX, so he would be nearby to make disaster declarations and get the FEMA response in high gear immediately.

For once, three years late, the Republicans did the right thing. Our governor stayed for obvious reasons, but keeping the President close by with the Secretary of Homeland Security and dialing back the RNC was a step forward. I think the only reason they were so cautious is they were afraid Gustav would flood New Orleans again. New Orleans’ flood protection system isn’t even back to pre-Katrina standards, let alone ready to withstand another Katrina or worse.

I just ran across this video on YouTube:

Rachel Maddow of Air America Radio and MSNBC News was just at the DNC in Denver the week before Gustav hit us, and she was the only one at the commentary desk at the end of the DNC on Thursday night, August 28, to mention the top story might be covering Louisiana during Hurricane Gustav on September 1 when the RNC started. She had to go to Minnesota for the RNC (she’s a political analyst, not a reporter). She was also the only person at that desk to bring up that Friday, August 29, was the 3-year anniversary of Katrina. It’s great to know somebody in the national media had us in her heart and mind.

We were out of Katie Couric’s mind as soon as she got to Baton Rouge and found out New Orleans had been spared Gustav. She hopped on a plain and flew to the RNC and to hell with the rest of us in Louisiana. Gustav was the worst storm to hit Baton Rouge in anyone’s memory. It was worse than Betsy, Andrew, Katrina and Rita for us. I would love it if everyone thought of Louisiana as a much bigger place than New Orleans. It’s like thinking the only city and population in New York is New York City.

Rachel Maddow continues to talk about FEMA, Katrina, Rita, and Ike often because the response to them was so botched. She talks about Gustav once in awhile. I’m glad somebody is willing to hold FEMA and the administration accountable for what is still wrong with the Katrina response and how slowly the Ike response is still going in Texas today.

Technorati Tags: FEMA, Hurricane Gustav, IFW News, Katie Couric, MSNBC News, President Bush, Rachel Maddow, RNC

This is part 6 of a series of articles about Hurricane Gustav. You can read the earlier articles in the series at the links below:

Part 1: How to Prepare for a Hurricane

Part 2: Riding Out Gustav in Baton Rouge

Part 3: Hurricane Gustav Aftermath Begins

Part 4: Hurricane Gustav Aftermath Continues Day 3 to 2 Weeks

Part 5: Hurricane Gustav Aftermath: 2 Weeks to 2 Months

Our Governor Did a Great Job!

I must compliment our Governor, Bobby Jindal. Before Gustav hit us, he had Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Cherthoff and FEMA on standby to bring in supplies as soon as the disaster area orders were signed by President Bush. He asked President Bush to be close by at his Texas ranch so orders could be given as soon as the wind died down.

Governor Jindal told Secretary Cherthoff that he would be coming to Baton Rouge and riding out the storm at his Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) so his request for FEMA supplies would not get tied up in red tape, and Louisiana residents would be able to get supplies within 3 days after the storm. Secretary Cherthoff spent Monday, September 1, 2008, riding out Gustav in Baton Rouge. Governor Jindal called President Bush immediately and had him sign the disaster declaration orders the evening of September 1st, then he handed the phone to Secretary Cherthoff to receive orders to deploy FEMA supplies immediately.

Governor Jindal was not passive in preparation for Gustav or in handling the aftermath. He took charge, took action and didn’t ask for help; he told those who were in charge of supplies and other recovery needs exactly what they were going to do, when they were going to do it, and then made it happen. We recovered very quickly from the most devastating storm to hit Baton Rouge in anyone’s memory.

We heard emergency response was not nearly as good in Texas after Hurricane Ike, which hit Galveston, TX, just two weeks after Gustav hit us. The Texas Governor did not realize that he had to get the disaster declared and request FEMA assistance before the trucks of supplies would be delivered to distribution points. The Federal Government cannot just come into a state, set up and start handing out supplies. It violates some important States’ Rights laws, so a state official with the power to make the request must request federal assistance before it can be given.

I know it sounds like a technicality, but it is an important one. It was one of the biggest lessons Governor Jindal learned from his thorough research and study of the Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita disasters. Until Legislation can be drafted that effectively deals with this problem, the system must be followed as it now exists.

Governor Jindal studied the Katrina and Rita disasters carefully in great detail and solved many of the problems by making his OEP the command center for the state. He also spent his first few months as Governor coordinating all the relief agencies with the Red Cross, FEMA and the National Guard so all that had to be done was mobilize according to plan. He was the first one in charge and then he had a director who took over when Governor Jindal absolutely had to sleep. He never left the OEP without someone with authority to act in charge.

His preparation and planning worked. The system as it currently exists does work, but it requires leadership and a very clear understanding of how the system works to get it rolling and keep it going as long as you need it.

If you live in a hurricane-prone state, I strongly suggest your governor and state emergency preparedness officials meet with Governor Jindal to learn what to do to prepare and how to do it.

Again, Kudos, Governor Jindal!

Technorati Tags: Emergency Preparedness, Governor Bobby Jindal, Hurricane Gustav, Jindal did a great job on Gustav