Frankly, I was appalled at the rhetoric coming out of the mouth of the Mayor of New Orleans and others shortly after Katrina hit the city of New Orleans. What colossal gall! The citizens of New Orleans, particularly the abandoned poor, ought to be enraged at their neglect and treatment. The following is a perspective from a Lousiana boy born in the City of New Orleans many years ago. - Voyle A. Glover

THE NEW ORLEANS HURRICANE

AND OTHER DESTRUCTIVE FORCES

by

Voyle A. Glover, Esq.

Hurricanes are forces of nature that work within prescribed laws. The laws that govern the formation of hurricanes are somewhat mysterious. Scientists who study them aren't completely sure as to how or why they form. But there are some things they do know about them. They know, for example, that the water temperature must be 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. One of the reasons California is almost never affected by hurricanes is because the water is typically colder in the Pacific surrounding California. It’s temperature is usually around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scientists know that hurricanes seem to require moist air and converging equatorial winds. Virtually all Atlantic hurricanes have their beginnings as a thunderstorm off the west coast of Africa. As these storms move out over the warm, tropical ocean waters, certain events are taking place. First, there is this movement of the warm, humid ocean air that evolves into an evaporation-condensation cycle. A pattern of converging winds at the surface is combined with strong, steady winds at higher altitudes. Scientists agree that there must be a difference in the air pressure between the surface of the waters and the upper levels in the storm.

Once these events begin occurring, the ingredients for a hurricane are present. The formative action appears to be based on simple physics, where warm moist air rises, and as it rises, the vapor condenses, forming clouds and drops of rain. There is a release of heat during this condensation process, which warms the cooler air above it, which in turn causes the air to rise. The displacement of the air draws more warm, moist air from the ocean below. This cycle continues to repeat itself, and a pattern of winds develops that is circular around a center. This is what is known as the “eye” of a hurricane.

In the beginning, the infant hurricane is a “tropical depression,” which means that the swirling clouds and rain are less then 38 mph. It may never develop beyond this stage. If it does rise above that, it becomes a “tropical storm” with winds of 39 to 73 mph. At this point, it is a fairly well defined storm and is gathering moisture by the hour. If the winds increase to over 74 mph, then we call such a storm, a hurricane.

Hurricane Katrina: Deadline New Orleans

All of these elements were present with the hurricane Katrina which ultimately devastated New Orleans, Louisiana in late August 2005. It had its beginnings as described above. It was tracked by those who watch such things. It’s projected path was heralded many days before it actually struck. Warnings were issued. Many stories were written about the ultimate horror, to wit, the breaching of the waters surrounding New Orleans and the subsequent filling of the bowl in which the city rests. The experts knew what was coming.

But, there was another element at work which would make the destructive power of the hurricane even more potent. For want of a better term, it's called Inept and Lazy Politicians. That force proved to be more deadly than the hurricane. History may record the death and destruction in a column titled Hurricane Katrina, but the facts tell a much different story. The facts tell a story of politicians who were unwilling to work on behalf of the people and chose, instead, to concern themselves with the immediate needs of themselves, their pet interests, and safe politics. They chose to emulate the ostrich. The facts point to men and women who were grossly inept politicians, adept only in the art of babble. They were not do-ers. They were not the kind of men and women who got things done. They chose to play Ostrich with an entire city population.

On Friday August 26, 2005, the National Hurricane Center predicted for the first time that Katrina would become a Category 4 storm, which meant it would exceed the Category 3 design limits of the New Orleans levees. The governor of the state issued Proclamation No. 48KBB 2005 which stated in part, "Hurricane Katrina poses an imminent threat to the state of Louisiana, carrying severe storms, high winds, and torrential rain that may cause flooding and damage to private property and public, facilities, and threaten the safety and security of the citizens of Louisiana.”

The governor declared a state of emergency to exist and requested Federal aid. The next day, President Bush declared a state of emergency to exist and ordered the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and to supplement the state and local responses. Ray Nagin, the Mayor of New Orleans did nothing. He did not move buses up into high ground for the evacuation of the poor. No preparations were made to rescue people. No efforts were made to collect small fishing boats and stash them in a secure place, which could have made rescue easier. He and his administration did not prepare for the worse.

On August 27, 2005,  Mayor Ray Nagin of the City of New Orleans issued a “voluntary evacuation” order, fearing that if he ordered a full evacuation, there could be lawsuits by various business entities, particularly from the forced closings of hotels and other business heavily dependent on tourist trade. However, on the 28^th, after being called by the governor and the President of the United States, he changed the order to a mandatory evacuation, and designated the Superdome as a primary place of refuge.

Appearing on live television at a news conference, Nagin said that authorities were setting up 10 refuges of last resort, including the city's Superdome, for people who were unable to get out. The poor would be left to fend for themselves as far as transportation out of the city (which meant most of the poor would be left behind). The vast fleet of available, un-manned buses were left in place, and would not be used to evacuate the poor. Mayor Nagin admitted that the hurricane's storm surge was likely to overwhelm the levees that protect the city. He noted that there would be few supplies, and people were expected to bring their own supplies to the refuges.

So, the gangs brought their guns and drugs and muscle.

The citizens brought their innocence and vulnerability.

Mayor Nagin brought his ignorance.

In the end, a city was destroyed. No leadership of note emerged. No state or local official can be said to have risen to the stature of "hero," nor did any even remotely approach the leadership shown by former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliano during his city's crisis on September 11, 2001.

"We have advised people that this city has been destroyed,'' said Deputy Police Superintendent W.J. Riley. "There is nothing here for them and no reason for them to stay, no food, no jobs, nothing.''

It didn't have to be that way, though.

In a 5 part series that looked closely at the vulnerability of New Orleans, the Times Picayune wrote, in 2002:  

“The Army Corps of Engineers says the chance of New Orleans-area levees being topped is remote, but admits the estimate is based on 40-year-old calculations. An independent analysis based on updated data and computer modeling done for The Times-Picayune suggests the risk to some areas, including St. Bernard and St. Charles parishes and eastern New Orleans, may be greater than the corps estimates. Corps officials say the agency is studying the problem with an updated model.”  

In what now appears to be a prophetic voice, The Picayune noted back then, the following:  

“If enough water from Lake Pontchartrain topped the levee system along its south shore, the result would be apocalyptic. Vast areas would be submerged for days or weeks until engineers dynamited the levees to let the water escape. Some places on the east bank of Orleans and Jefferson parishes are as low as 10 feet below sea level. Adding a 20-foot storm surge from a Category 4 or 5 storm would mean 30 feet of standing water. Whoever remained in the city would be at grave risk. According to the American Red Cross, a likely death toll would be between 25,000 and 100,000 people, dwarfing estimated death tolls for other natural disasters and all but the most nightmarish potential terrorist attacks. Tens of thousands more would be stranded on rooftops and high ground, awaiting rescue that could take days or longer. They would face thirst, hunger and exposure to toxic chemicals. 

"We don't know where the pipelines are, and you have the landfills, oil and gas facilities, abandoned brine pits, hardware stores, gas stations, the chemicals in our houses," said Ivor van Heerden, assistant director of the LSU Hurricane Center. 'We have no idea what people will be exposed to. You're looking at the proverbial witch's brew of chemicals."

 The Foreseeability of the New Orleans Catastrophe

The catastrophic events which have enveloped New Orleans and its citizens were all foreseen, and if some were not, they should have been.  Officals expressed surprise at the looting and lawlessness. Apparently, they overlooked the fact that thousands of criminals resided in New Orleans. Did they imagine that the winds would calm the storm of evil raging within the population for decades? In spite of what appears to be certain knowledge of the catastrophe that was heading with a vengeance towards the city, the preparations made by the city officials was completely inadequate and grossly negligent.

While some may wish to say that hindsight is always 20/20, in this case, foresight was as good as hindsight. Yet somehow, the city and the local government failed. Here are some questions and issues raised by the failure of the mayor of New Orleans and the rest of the city and state government officials.

1. If the city knew that the hurricane presented the circumstances where citizens would be stranded on roof tops by the thousands, and a “witches brew” of chemicals would swirl through the streets of the city, why no preparations for such? If the answer is one of timing, that is, the excuse that the hurricane left no time for such plans, the series done by the Times Picyune in 2002 gave at least 3 years to make preparations. (Some of you are whispering, "But, do Nagin and these guys actually read? Sh-h-h-h-h!! Let's be nice.)

2. Couldn’t the city, years earlier, have consulted with experts, and made expert evaluations of what kind of plans were best suited to meet the horror that would one day visit them? Was it foreseeable that people would be stranded on rooftops? According to the Picyune story, it certainly was foreseeable. Why then was there utter helplessness and complete chaos on the part of the city government? There was no plans, only improvisation. There was no fleet of rescue boats in a secure location ready for deployment. There were no local militia or cadre of citizens assigned to man the boats. There were no “high ground” stations established. There were no plans made for mass feedings. There were no plans for mass evacuations. The poor were apparently deemed "acceptable losses" and never offered a ride out of the city by the Mayor.

3. Crime in the city of New Orleans has been high for decades. Mayor Nagin and the police knew there are hundreds of criminal gangs in New Orleans. Did Mayor Nagin and the police think these criminals would all be blown away by the hurricane? When the mayor and the government officials directed people to go to the Superdome, did they think the criminals and drug dealers would choose not to go there? And did the mayor and his people think that people in that place would all be safe from the criminals? Did they think the nature of these thugs and drug dealers would suddenly change? Are they really that stupid? Frankly, the people should run the mayor and his inept administration out of the city for not providing police protection in the stadium and the convention center. Instead, the mayor kept the police wading around in water chasing thugs away from...what? Televisions. Stereos. Watches. Jewelry. Businesses. We saw how highly the people rated with Nagin.

It would have been a great thing, Mayor Nagin, if you and your police would have kept the thugs and criminals away from the good citizens you sent to the Superdome. Instead, you directed officers to guard the property of the rich instead of the lives of the poor who huddled exhausted and hungry, and in grave danger from the criminals in the huge arena. Your Caesar-like proclamation, sending them to the arena to be prey to the young lions of your streets, was appalling, and showed your ignorance and your lack of compassion.

Instead of protecting your citizens, you expended your small force of officers on tasks made immeasurably more difficult by your lack of planning. Instead of a fleet of rubber boats manned by your police (which you could have had), you sent exhausted officers staggering around in wet boots, chasing looters, manning dingys to rescue people from rooftops, and cursing the lack of communications and the utter chaos in which they found themselves.

In the aftermath, rescuers came floating around in boats looking for people to evacuate, pushing aside floating bodies. It would have been so much easier, Mayor Nagin, if you'd used the hundreds of buses to take the poor out of harm's way. Many of those dead bodies belong to you and your administration, Mayor, for your gross negligence.

How incredible that the mayor would make a profane denunciation of the federal government’s efforts to provide assistance to the people the mayor knew would be on the rooftops, but failed to figure out a plan to rescue them. The stunning gall of Mayor Ray Nagin as shown in his vitriolic attack on the President and FEMA calls for a close look at his own ineptness. 

There were no plans made for lawlessness in spite of the knowledge that the city was home to thousands of drug dealers, rapists, and other criminal elements, including gangs.

There was no plans made to rescue people from the roof tops in spite of having had years to plan for such an eventuality.

There were no plans made for feeding the thousands of people made homeless, in spite of the advance knowledge these people would have little or no food. No details were assigned to appropriate food in the thousands of grocery stores in New Orleans. No storehouses of food supplies were established by the city government to feed the instant homeless.

There were no plans for evacuation besides the issuance of an order. You’d think a city government that knew in advance what a category 5 hurricane headed in your direction would mean, that the city fathers would have made elaborate plans, such as buses at strategic points to pick the poor and elder up and move them out of the city. Mayor Nagin knew his city was populated with tens of thousands of poor people. The city fathers knew that. But they did nothing.

There was no plan to evacuate the sick. They knew the hospitals would be overwhelmed and knew power would be gone. But no plans were made. No helicopters were allocated for such a contingency. No boats were set on standby.

It remains to be seen what will happen in the "blame game" that has sprung up in the wake of the hurricane. Sean Penn said, "There are people dying and (the US government is) not putting the boats in the water...I think that's criminal negligence. I don't think anybody ever anticipated the criminal negligence of the Bush administration in this situation."

Interesting observation. But I wonder if Mr Penn will be willing to say that about the Mayor of New Orleans? If he does not make the same charges against the Mayor and his administration, then we know Mr. Penn's comments and his actions are just an act, something he does for a living. In this instance, it seems to be a political act. Perhaps Mr. Penn intends to apply for West Wing openings [alas, the show's audience reached numbers akin to the population of New Orleans and was cancelled]

It is apparent to those of us not willing to prey on the gullible minds of a traumatized nation in the wake of death, that the real culprits here are the local politicians, and the mayor of New Orleans. There certainly is blame to be laid at the feet of FEMA, but the heaviest criticism has to be given to the government of the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana.

Instead of what appears to be non-stop attacks against President Bush, made for purely political purposes, it would seem more rational to ask some very, very hard questions to Mayor Nagin and his administration. Have the politicians asked those hard questions of Louisiana officials? Has the media focused on those issues raised here? I hope the poor stand and shout their questions at the mayor and his government. It remains to be seen whether those officials will stand and give honest answers to the people they betrayed.

Hopefully, these matters will be looked at very closely before too much  of our tax dollars are thrown into rebuilding New Orleans. What assurances do we have that the current and next administration will not continue with their deliberate ignoring of the need to be prepared? Or will our tax dollars be spent on preparing for the next Gay Debauchery Week in the City? New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas commented, "Maybe God's going to cleanse us." If God doesn't, surely the voters who come back to New Orleans should. [Perhaps it is fitting that the voters, who recently re-elected Nagin, have someone as ignorant as themselves leading them.]

I would hope that in between Mayor Nagin's delusional and paranoid statements that "the CIA is gonna get me," he'd offer some kind of reasoning as to why he ignored the plight of the poor in his city; and that he would explain why he and his administration failed to take any steps to protect the citizens of his city from the myriad of terrible things that have happened to so many of them, but which were, for the most part, either preventable or the impact able to be diminished greatly.

No one blames the mayor for the hurricane. However, I do believe the citizens ought to blame him for the lack of security, for the lack of foresight, and for failing to consider the cause of the poor. And, I think his efforts to attempt to shift the blame to the federal government is appalling.

But then, when a man thinks just because he criticized the President and FEMA, he's a sudden target for the CIA, one realizes instantly that the man isn't tuned into reality and probably has a mentor named Louis Farrakhan.

[Maybe there's an explanation for his failure after all.]

The End

Copyright 2005

Voyle A. Glover

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