Hurrica Katrina -which level of government should have been solely resonsible the city-state or federal govt?

Answer 1

There's a part of the Federal government that handles these sorts of things, called the Federal Emergency Management Administration, or FEMA. You want to point fingers for any botches, that's where they go.

Answer 2

This is a complicated question.
The federal government is not allowed (by law) to intervene within any city or state until requested to do so by the proper authorities. When things like this happen the local government contacts the state government and the govenor request federal help. If federal authorities deem it necessary then federal agencies (currently FEMA) take over and remain 'in charge' until the situation is normalized according to their agency standards.

To determine who is solely responsible just follw the time line. When this storm was coming it was the mayor's responsibility to organize his population as well as he could using his local previouly organized infrastructure (all cities and even towns have these) both within and outside his government structure. So it is clearly the mayor alone who was 'responsible' up until he called the govenor and specifically requested state aid. I don't rememeber exactly but I believe that occurred only after the levies broke. Anyhow, until whenever that was the buck stopped on his desk.
After the govenor received a call for help and judged that help was required, the ultimate responsibility for providing additional aid falls upon the govenor. However, that does not obviate the responsibility of the local mayor to still do all they can. I believe that the time frame shows that the govenor called for federal aid immediately and received assurances that it was on the way.
After FEMA agreed to help, they are the ones to whom all additional responsibility falls.
I feel that inthe case of Katrina, the local emergency preparedness council (including the fire and police departments) di not accomplish their required tasks well. The problems concerning flooding because the levies were 'likely' inadequate were well known. They simply did not plan well enough. PERIOD! Since it is the mayor's job to oversee this activity, the responsibility for this inadequacy is his. Even the actual problem, the levies, were his responsibility to pressure the proper authorities to have them repaired or strengthened or to move people from harms way. This was a big job. The mayor had limited resources. Bottom line -- he failed to do what was required. The people who elected him should hold him responsible for that. Would anyone else have faired better?

I think that the govenor probably did what was required, passed on the aid request to FEMA and then assumed that their help was to come immediately. How much should she have pushed? Who knows? Did her planning people do enough beforehand. NO! A govenor has a lot more physical and political power than a mayor. So she and her office and predecessors bear some responsibility also.

The initial Fema response was totally inadequate. The manager was not capable of the task and his appointment was made by Bush. Since that manager should not have been there at all the initial failure of FEMA is Pres. Bush's. Had he appointed a qualified individual to be manager then the rescue and clean up aid would have gone more smoothly. I lay all the debacles of the continuing rebuilding effort right at the feet of Pres. Bush.

Answer 3

None of the groups you mentioned can be held solely responsible. It was a failure on all levels. On the local city level we all saw the photos of school buses flooded out. They could have been used to help evacuate citizens. The State could have been more prepared with the national guard and any other emergency organizations. The federal government also could have been more prepared by acting ahead of time rather than reacting after the fact.

You also left out one important group to lay blame on. Those that refused to leave when the alarm was sounded. We all knew about this hurricane days before it hit New Orleans. The people that were able to leave that didn't bear just as much responsibility in this as the governmental organizations that you mentioned.

Sorry I have to add one more. The french for building the city there in the first place.

Answer 4

In our era of entitlement, I think it is pretty sad that we have turned into a Nation of sheep that must be "taken care of" by the government. There are some things that are no brainers. If you live 30 feet below sea level, on the back side of a 1/2 broken levee and hurricane warnings are being forecast, LEAVE. I know it is sad, but sometimes you must protect yourself.
Yes, there should have been more help.
Yes, they should have been better equipped.
Yes, they should have had a better plan.
BUT...will pointing fingers bring those people back? NO. Get a new plan. Move that whole CITY or completely redo the levees and dikes. And if they are redone, make sure they are redone properly. Since either one of these will be a government project, you know they will be screwed up. Just the facts.
I don't know who was responsible. I believe personal responsibility should be held MUCH higher than it has been. Seeing people standing outside the Superdome chanting didn't help me much either. I live in Oklahoma. We have tornadoes that wipe out homes and towns, wildfires that have devastated the same. The best we get is someone coming around distributing water. During the last Ice Storm we did have the National Guard and Red Cross, I was impressed.

Answer 5

State

Answer 6

None. Government is not responsible for Katrina. Now read the requests made by the City of New Orleans. The Federal Government said no to all requests for help in preventing a flood disaster. The Federal Government is responsible for the Levies around that city. They built them. The Army Corps of Engineering.

Answer 7

I went their right after it happened and the city leaders left leaving it to the state, the state attempted to help and notified the federal govt. It solely rests on the city and state to help the citizens of that state. When the leaders of the cities leave then it falls on the state o help out and ask for federal assistance through FEMA. Of course we know that FEMA has its problems but to answer the question, it is the city then the state and finally the federal govt.

My whole issue was with the cities response and the entire city govt left the people who elected them into office with no help as they were the first ones to high tail it out of their, leaving the state to try to pick up the pieces. They left that whole region whith no where to go and no plan in place for a massive evacuation for a catostrophic event. The City Govt is responsible for that plan so the initial responsibility lies with the CITY.

Answer 8

In my opinion, I think the sole responsibility falls on the state government. Despite a slow response from FEMA, New Orleans had advanced warning that hurricane Katrina was going to hit N.O. and how powerful it was going to be.

Governor Blanco should have taken a more active role in making sure that New Orleans was evacuated. Additionally, she should have asked for Federal help much sooner than she did.

Granted FEMA may have reacted slowly, but common sense should dictate you can't send help during a hurricane. Secondly look at the extent of the damage caused by Katrina most routes into and out of the city were destroyed and alternate routes needed to be found.

A prime example is Mississippi. They had the same amount of warning and reacted much faster and things weren't as bad.

In short, placing sole responsibility is not realistic and somewhat complex. Here's why. FEMA should have reacted better, but unless a state of emergency is declared the fed government can't just rush in. It boils down to state power vs federal power. Maybe Blanco didn't want to appear weak by asking for help; however, a strong leader isn't afraid to ask for help and knows when to ask for it.

Answer 9

I'm sorry to say this but this what i feel they all had equal parts,
the citizens
they should have been prepared, which they were not ,
the city of new Orleans did not have a plan to evacuate it's people.
the state did not ask for help until twos days before.
the Federal did try but with all the polctial crap between the parties and finger pointing which led to
the survivors getting a kick in the behind.

so there is no sole group that is responsible for the aftermath.
the sad thing is that still no one learn that we all need to get along to get the job done.

Answer 10

Foreseen natural disasters of the magnitude of hurricane Katrina should not be overlooked by any specific governmental agency. If hurricane Katrina was heading straight into Washington DC. do you think they would have been sitting around waiting to see what happened? Do you think the Bush administration would have said "Let the City take care of it" ? Ultimately the federal government knowing before hand the power of the storm, the potential for a major disaster, and the vulnerability of the coastal region should have acted quickly to implement state and city resources.

Answer 11

The city of New Orleans was responsible for the system of dykes and dams - their negligence was responsible for the failure of the system, a failure that had been predicted and warned against for years.

State government usually steps in when there is a major catastrophe. In the case of Katrina, the Louisiana National Guard was on duty in Iraq and so they were badly undermanned.

The federal government stepped in and took charge - unfortunately they were not prepared, and handled the situation badly.

None should have been solely responsible. Much of the catastrophe was caused by people being unwilling to follow the directives to evacuate, and made worse by the city's not providing adequate transportation to helpl get people out.

But if people refuse to leave, who is responsible when they get caught in the storm?