More Katrina, Update VIII

Other federal and state officials pointed to Louisiana’s failure to measure up to national disaster response standards, noting that the federal plan advises state and local emergency managers not to expect federal aid for 72 to 96 hours, and base their own preparedness efforts on the need to be self-sufficient for at least that period. “Fundamentally the first breakdown occurred at the local level,” said one state official who works with FEMA. ‘Did the city have the situational awareness of what was going on within its borders? The answer was no.”

In the end, the question is why weren’t more people evacuated from New Orleans before the storm hit. There’s simply no debate that this is the responsibility of local and state officials. And we keep hearing that everyone knew that this could be a massive disaster. You’d think local and state officials would know this best, as they live there. As for federalism, no this is not the time to make the case. But I have to wonder – if the federal government is to be the first-responder, then the local and state governments will have to surrender considerable control and resources to the federal government, including the military. And in the end, I wonder how much difference it would actually make, given all the finger-pointing at federal competence.