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ladies and gentlemen i wish i had better news for you
but we are facing a storm that most of us have feared a mandatory evacuation or
is he about called
for all of the parish of all the
sunday morning in new orleans the national weather service issued a
bulletin predicting a hurricane along the gulf coast aborted cold
unprecedented strengths the area will be uninhabitable for weeks the bulletin
predicted
and it went on to say
human suffering incredible by modern standards the national weather service
told us we're scared for you
were deeply scared for you now this government officials
they don't use those words in the wake of nine eleven the recreated department
of homeland security had come up with a detailed plan for responding to such
disasters
nearly five hundred pages long that claimed to ensure seamless integration
in the event of a national emergency of the federal government and local and
state authority
we're just or when they're very briefly introduce ah... michael do you have
known that sunday michael brown the director of the federal emergency
management agency
presided over a teleconference with state locals and federal officials live
that's removed which we will do whatever it takes to help disaster victims
president bush drawing the briefing from his home interactions corporation of los
state level
decked out we are going out there
uh... dollar-yen drivers from but we will go a long range was unnecessary
disposal words like quick entrenched resources and assets on reassuring but
it now appears that officials from president bush and down to the local
level were often using words
the signify different things to different people
even terms like mandatory evacuation
and folks who set up morning we'll say it again
the united talent for unity in atlanta
twenty eight percent
of the population of the city of new orleans is below the poverty line
and poor people
tend to be less well informed
men tend to be less mobile
have cars to get out
and so many of those who wanted to leave norman's protruding
headed for the city's super dome
by three o'clock sunday afternoon
some ten thousand people had already gathered
came out of his laptop
they need a hard and i just found
recruiter newsrooms early monday morning
category-four hurricane with winds of up to a hundred and twenty five
americans some of his staff and set up a command center in the hyatt hotel
this side of the super
only communication we had
was allowed
we've got
and adam wireless broadband carter worked all the way up
into the hired seven
the mayor and it's cheap and almost forgetting arm
by information
beautiful dot com
find internet the goes down
it was one of the misuse of communication breakdowns that would
contribute to untold suffering
and still untethered number of deaths
at age fourteen central time the national weather service issued a
bulletin reading
flash flood warning
alleging a breach occurred along the industrial canal a tennessee script
trauma most of the other comment bolton went up a hurricane have been battling
the city for hours
the electricity and phones were out
so most people neither sought nor heard the warning
officials in washington seemed totally oblivious to the board
all right
but they didn't need any bulletin someone ninety more dancing promotes
parish just east of the city
their twenty-four williams of wardrobe literate in most of the landscape
in just a couple of hours
we can project right now eleven fifty
it is now left the state
bubble wheezing and
with the strong gone it was up to local officials to go in assessment damage
their communities have suffered for forty eight
two sixty hours
after the star makes landfall
each local community needs to be able to sustain its sis to sustain itself
then we can expect state and federal resources
to begin to flow in investment in the car i do
censured output to who did were among the first to sound the alarm
on a new disaster
about two or three in the afternoon when the winds were still pretty strong
two of our
two of my colleagues
an editor anna and an art critic
uh... took their bicycles and rode out to the lake front
to where they lived
and witnessed firsthand the water gushing through
the breach in the levee and their own neighborhoods filling up
alike a bathtub
this second breach was on the west side of the city directly across from the
eastern side where the morning breach of been reported
by the national weather service
but most of the officials who were running the relief effort were either of
stock in the downtown hyatt hotel
in the state capital of baton rouge
or out of the state altogether
the governor though was optimistic uh... we did report object to it
for swine depending on the president has signed up all the declarations of
emergency that we needed to release
interpret and fifty of the federal government to help louisiana people
once the president landed beginners only xiv mentioned the hurricane in this
speech devoted to medicare but
in an unfortunately wing of the disconnected would plead the
administration for the next several days
he made reference to what sounded like he totally relevant conversation here
just had with is director of homeland security
i said are you working with the governor said you bet we are
that's the most effective way to do things is to work with the state and
local authorities there are more resources that are being available but
the topic they were discussing was immigration reform
not hurricane resources everywhere
the first images out did not show uh... cities submerged storm damage
lots of maybe more than usual but nothing really remarkable except perhaps
for the torn skin on the roof of the super dome
was just on passing on one meeting
nobody was let out of the don't feel they were still had had to stay within
the dome areas
anywhere you the parts of the city of course were floating and feedback you we
use from the rising water headed to the only building that had been designated
to show proof last resort
the super dome
deputy police superintendent loneliness where you spent monday
the following six days there on all of our own warning us polarizing dole
retinoid carolina lighting
uh... i wearing a in a long or eleanor leona a email over
one dent
restate and federal officials have been watching the storm from the safety of
the state emergency operations center they were cautiously optimistic the
recovery would be on track
but as even fill according to our office governor one court told the president
i need everything you've got
deck about i hope he will tell president that's how much we appreciate it
the fifteen th of the times that really count to know that our federal
government will step in and give us the kind of assistance that we need and that
arent in desperate need for uh... what i've seen your to those of the military
target working closely with your work
all being very professional
within a month or more pain than making the right calls the federal government
to was waiting for a specific requests from the storm front
by asking for everything you've got governor blanco was provided no guidance
whatsoever
another breakdown in communication
since then we don't know if anything
that were trapped
and now retract
hundreds of cell towers a goner
nobel
no we didn't do anything about it
that's what people were missing and they kept thinking someone health was going
to come
we no that power no no that
underwater
and when the first aerial showing a much more expansive view of the area came in
that evening the devastation was quite visible
to anyone who was watching
that actual downtown area and i think that it would only writing well-regarded
eating later but it was again or you got it working twelve from downtown ed
norton what modern trade it got actually working
it was very frustrating and no
but we knew
see that the story wasn't getting told to the nation into the world
and it's a good
belair of up on it
the list of
but he did
less so she's in a remote location and uh... good communication between the
state and local levels were not what they should have been
and what about those for the room
at the national government
from what i can see was oblivious
the airport was closed
those with cars had already left
the city needed bosons hundreds
sums in the surplus
or you're not asking
or a transcript
pacbell
also
on unknown videoconference wins the most state officials requested five hundred
bosses that request was eventually upped
to in lebanon
i had seventy thousand people in the city
who needed buses to get out this was not the time you can contract anything with
time demobilize and it didn't happen
it was about the same time that the president on a trip to san diego to
commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of v_ j_ day
this message to capri ms victims
the federal state local governments working side by side to do all we can
they'll people get back on their feet
partisan equipment or place
ever get beginning to move and the help that people need
with the wasted away he goes
a limited number of coast guard and national guard helicopter crews
performed here or two
plucking stranded survivors off rooftops one-by-one
but with some since of people prepping for on their houses it would take days
to finish the job
a lot i'll book
the create what i thought that rules an audit log cannot routing out there is
because the school i think that the other city officials
in those parts of the city where heavy vehicles could still pass
louisiana national guard had a handful of trucks
collecting people
in the streets
but there were far too few vehicles to begin within as we would later find out
their remaining for us
or under water
everyone continued to be either drop at or directed toward
the super dome
those of us intro to pick him up in the back but look and bring them over to the
zoo
at this point
we've reviewed with the burden
pacifica
in every models that you could add ten thousand people gardening
we're article missus over thirty thousand and we're still falling
many people tried to walk out of the city over the one bridge still
accessible by foot
but over the next three days people reported being turned away by police
from the neighboring parish
harris liar
account and
they will net whether tak dull
and police officers witnessing
saying you have to
unloaded
back in the shop instead
as set it afire
and we want to protect
the property
in this area
meanwhile the city and there was still struggling to get word
to outside official
on a night
a complete
and either
i've got thirty thousand people a super down
i've got no food and water no power anywhere every at that point
we had just focused on getting that
s_o_s_
it's a very tough
tough situation
plans will unravel fema is here the federal government i'm sure will spare
no expense
that the plans are not firm yet but working with fema
we are grateful
that delays by our side
and then an extraordinary statement for the femur coordinator who insisted on
and don't claim to rising water and i've been involved in area in general
you you should
majority of the areas it's not a rising at all
it's the same or it may be lower and i believe
in some parts of new orleans because of the seventeen th street preach it may be
roslyn and that seemed to be the case in parts of downtown but at one oh one
everybody that
in on the world is filling up like abortions not happen
to understand the extent of the communications breakdown listened to the
statement by the secretary of homeland security made
at the end of the week closed that was on tuesday that's already maven
overnight monday to tuesday
but the levee started to break batteries mid-day tuesday i became aware the fact
that there was no possibility of plugging the gap and that essentially
the lake was gonna start to break into the city
remember
the national weather service has issued a bulletin that the first lady had
broken at eight fourteen monday morning
not tuesday
and the second level you have broken by two p_m_ monday afternoon
late tuesday afternoon with thousands still stranded by the water local
officials called for anyone with a boat to help with the rescue effort
by the end of that day the super dome was surrounded by two to three feet of
water in the population had exploded
at ten fifteen tuesday evening
governor blanco ordered an evacuation of the stadium
but people's immune to gesture there was no
timetable
no destination and
most of all
no trucks no buses
people were known desperately searching for an alternative that one area at the
together terry important ones homeland security director says
he began directing evacuees the city's convention center
the well-intentioned order would lead to some of the darkest moments of the
catastrophe
governor blanco finally spoke to the president
two forty eight pm
she has
thirty thousand troops
will request for buses
a little after five p and the president spoke from the rose garden
our first priority is to save lives
where assisting local officials in new orleans in effect you waiting any
remaining citizens from the affected area
in some cases people was simply being moved
from one hell hole to another
as night fell over crowded field of finance school really and frustrated
the elderly in safely on cops in the open
doctor set up a triage system and do their best to evacuate the worst cases
going and you
remained were forced to list on the ground amid the garment
they needed
faucets
and there were no
scope location might not missus dole catholic
there's nothing on the displaced
just before midnight several buses did or off
they loaded up and headed for houston surface was the last of the buses until
morning
you can't do a pro life forms
saint of the contract buses and and this
he can do it the governor was supportive tend to be tough for me and they've got
down rather than by the mob
come in here and asked me what i mean
i don't know what i need a cat
you know i got it
sedentary
there was one success story bank at the high at the mare was able to make and
receive phone calls on his homemade phone network
late that night he got his call
air force one calls and says
college back in his number and name
days
mr mayor
here's our number
although there is no communication
serves to with the the bleakest a year
it's been three days since the levees broke
president bush gave his first television interview of the week
to diane sawyer
battling anybody anticipated breach of the levees
they did dissipated serious storm
these ladies get breached and as a result much in new orleans is flooded
and that we're having to deal with it as well
the president is correct
nobody did enters a plea the breach of the levees but they did predict that the
levees would be flooded
kept rural hospital ten patients have died overnight
there was only one working telephone in the entire hospital
and the small stuff
which was low on supplies
they were forced to make some very tough choices correspondent bob woodward was
there
how are we doing today is the positions of iron evaluating every haitian
advocates say their name
we give you an idea that they are quite
rejecting anticipated mathis what if they can say that i'm
electoral i think the sedona firebombed
if we don't get help say well done
it's not that means that instead because i really don't
amenable period here
on the roof their services
patient considered and portraits of the cancer then
going places
disgusting
federal state and local agencies are
also cooperate to sustain life
in these cases
and war too
to those who were stranded
medical personnel local officials are helping
hospital patients as people
gathered in the super dome
to evacuate
four days later and restore more than twenty thousand people of the super dome
waiting in the heat
for buses that are supposed to take them to houston's astrodome powerful perfect
fixated here you can see that
the buses were coming and going since wednesday night
albeit slower
and by late thursday an additional ten thousand people showed up
desperate to leave the city
from washington
soothing reassuring cell
michael church also ahead of the department of homeland security
told the american public things
were under control
saqi matters to seek perjury secure
everybody's contradict
have you believe maintain order as is committed to continuing to do so
finish at the factory should have a rich strictly enforced dole
reliably
where they were great
there was an ultimate and
symbols to wait there was more confusion
at the city's conventions
for many americans these scenes of
people thousands of people
begging for help in front of television cameras
for the first tangible indication
but just how dreadful conditions were yet
k
the
no police
no national guard fuel red cross no blossom
just desperate people when they waited for transportation
anywhere else we can take three dash three
people
with weapons inside the convention center
city times mormons police want to use it at the center
thirty times police superintendent compass told me a they were driven back
by gunfire
the single
where you have a greater concentration
redifmail
the super bowl
none of the conventions
nor the boy's together thirty two thousand people
almost all forced labor so well
yet but what about the conditions that we have about
levels of the communication
we didn't have a tactical commanders that you were present nobody let me see
note people didn't know
people in the fourth enough
well sort of pettino na na na give us a little you get to agriculture where
they'd take control these limit
over thirty thousand
all the little firefight
were also killed
so it's important to us
the first for the
we sort of a bizarre stroll aired on a business trip
program
about a marine all my life
fell about misery
there's as well as same misery and i can assure you that wednesday and thursday
i'd never seen such
suffering
was very difficult to to deal with it costs us two of our police officers
flies
by suicide
there was a serious disconnect between local and federal officials at this
point
it was early thursday evening new orleans may make an issue with a
desperate as so s currently said
the convention center is on the sanitary and on the safe
and we're running out of supplies was brown are famous mike brown appeared on
nightline
don't you guys watch television don't you guys listen to the radio we've been
so focused on doing rescue and lifesaving mission to get back to when
people from the super bowl
that we first learned about of course but first demonstration instinct was
get somebody in their get me truth on the ground let me know because if it's
true
we've got a helpful speed
the people the convention center of this error
the people on the bridges with all due respect sir i think one of the people in
the convention center and not being fair
our borders of the people that
the people the super dome i'm sorry you're absolutely correct
a frustrated man megan
had reached his limit
he called a local radio station
we're hearing
then state fourteen thousand national guard people on the bar
about to be on the ground with a keralite no they're not
you see as he starts finally hitting the real version out of what was happening
you feel his heart breaking
and you feel the anger daya
here
me
had
it's
nine p_m_ here in washington president bush's blues and people in our dream now
but no one really an impartial seldom had originally included a national
disgrace outfit but the reality kalpana
calphalon
ha
the results are not acceptable
at nine oh two friday a somber president bush faced reporters on the south lawn
of the white house
but when he touched down just before eleven
he was joined by a few minutes cheese mike rock
and ready to go ahead
favorite directors
the femur in general mike brown in particular in
increasingly the president himself were being the unit
as not having done i have a job title font
there had not been the single please and warns that he was appropriately stock to
review the children in care for the families in suburban kiwis
was the city's free
trying to sell the house dave got by
on the mobsters coming
leta with any of the
he harjeet not trying to get into it
the freemen was responsible
before providing those buses he'd failed miserably
but neither the state nor the city of new orleans had any viable baker planned
for evacuation either
when this convoy of buses finally arrived at the super dome
some parents was sold this group paper
just sick infants over the crowd
begging the groomsmen to take them
collapsed and had to be carried out
ten blocks away nightline correspondent chris beary was at the convention center
it is not afternoon
thousands of people remain trapped inside this convention center and there
is no sign of any bus or anything that might suggest an evacuation is being
planned or imminent in any way and after five days without running water
sanitation medicine
the stench inside this building is almost unbearable
sprawled on the new york in a minute we'll be seeing each other
which need to get out of it with
lodi
consistent with that
many did done at the convention center that body is simply covered with sheets
here
police superintendent iti compass bridled at the suggestion that he and
his men
could have done more to bring border
which i think dot blotting windshield that
but what the building
we will like the how will i
there was no plan
in order
no cohesion
we did not ever have the capability
these people out
the only one organization the united states become respond
uh... upon anything of this magnitude militarism military and we've got to
have them upfront
rather than a mirror three or four or five days down the line
they know how to do these things
consume from at the same day the
military turned
full-size
poured into the city
and for the first time military convoy is loaded with food water and supplies
rolled up to the convention center
all aa
leaving the cavalry was lieutenant colonel connery's cigar smoking
three-star veteran don't
the john wayne do
by the mayor
dot t_ o_
narasimha
having heard reports of guns in the science one deans and the military
weapons law
on the perspective of those stranded inside the rescuers
look more like men prepared to put down a prison life
delays to report
at the convention center is secure
one of the objectives that we had today
is to move in and secure that convention center
it would be one more day
before the bolsa spinal u_k_
flavier not watching all of it
i'm not forget what i say
understands the devastation requires
then one day six days
it had to be an intensely sobering experience for the president
for five days america's first responder to the world's emergencies and a leader
in communication failed to communicate and was agonizingly slow to respond with
song people in distress