The Response to Hurricane Katrina

The Response to Hurricane Katrina

Introduction

The preliminary response to the extensive disaster in the Gulf Coast caused due to Hurricane Katrina, displayed increased levels of disorganization and incompetence by the governmental officials. Images of anxious individuals awaiting rescue and aid on their rooftops, and innumerable individuals packed together in terrible conditions in the Super Dome, passed across the globe. There wasn't any hiding from the brutal reality and the apparent inability or inaction of the ones in charge of caring for these people in the wake of this calamity. Despite that a significant amount of blame has been placed on FEMA, it must be realized that several factors contributed to the worsening of circumstances in New Orleans. Some parts of the levees had not been appropriately constructed or maintained. Local agencies failed to sufficiently prepare and plan this sort of an event. Local officials waited for an extensive period for ordering an evacuation, and did not take into consideration the way to help those people who were short of financial resources for evacuating on their own.

Disaster Recovery

Government

Generally, disaster recovery is considered as a sort of social insurance against natural calamities. Assistance by the government is not essentially the most reliable or the best service provider. The Department of Homeland Security should adopt the National Response Plan, which would enable the standard procedures to be bypassed by the department of legal authority and would provide assistance without complete or detailed assessments. There should be appropriate communication protocols established amongst the governmental agencies and accountability as well as contingency plans should be set out as a disaster recovery activity (Brunner, 2007).

The White House and the Department of Defense should significantly contemplate, taking into consideration if they should federalize the National Guard in the areas that are affected. The president should ...