Hurricane Katrina and Government Steps

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the steps taken by the government of New Orleans and President Bush to try and manage hurricane Katerina. It explains how people evacuated the city and how some were unable to leave. The writer criticizes President Bush for not acting sooner and points out that by many accounts, many average Americans understood more of the disaster in New Orleans that the President did. The writer discusses how in the electoral debates of 2000, Mr. Bush had said natural disasters are a "time to test your mettle", but Bush failed with Katrina as he seemed overwhelmed with the problem and confused and defensive about what to do. The writer points out that confronted with the crisis in New Orleans, Mr. Bush was unable to summon either clear thinking or firm governance. The writer concludes by asking how a system that is meant to protect its people failed so badly.

From the Paper:

"On Sunday, August 28, New Orleans Ray Nagin asked residents to evacuate the city. (Newsweek 2005a p. 46b) Nagin had actually delayed the evacuation notice, giving up on valuable time to mobilize resources, because any evacuation would disrupt a tourism based economy. If Nagin evacuated unnecessarily, he would cost the city millions of dollars per day in lost revenue. (Time, 2005a; Newsweek, 2005a) Even as he called for evacuation, Nagin acted tentatively, apparently unsure at the outset that he could make the evacuation mandatory. Later he was advised that he did have authority to order a mandatory evacuation."

Sample of Sources Used:

• An American Tragedy, 2005. Time, Sept. 12, 2005, pp. 44-49, citeed as "Time 2005b."
• As the Waters Recede The Reckoning Begins: How Bush Blew It, 2005. Newsweek, Sept. 19, 2005, pp. 26-40, cited as "Newsweek 2005b."
• Comment: In the Ruins, 2005. New Yorker, Sept. 12, 2005, pp. 33-36, cited as "New Yorker, 2005a."
• Comment: Storm Warnings, 2005. New Yorker, Sept. 19, 2005, pp. 35-36, cited as "New Yorker 20005b."
• The Lost City, 2005. Newsweek, Sept. 12, 2005, pp. 43-51, cited as "Newsweek 2005a."

More papers on Hurricane Katrina and Government Steps:

• Analytical Essay # 88083 : "Hurricane Katrina and the Media"
• Descriptive Essay # 139900 : "Hurricane Katrina and Rebuilding Louisiana"
• Analytical Essay # 145579 : "Hurricane Katrina and the Department of Homeland Security"

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