Chapter 1. Hurricane Katrina Revisited: Reflecting on Success and Failure

In this chapter, we argue that the common assessment of the Hurricane Katrina response as a total failure is in need of correction. We outline an assessment framework based on The Politics of Crisis Management by Boin et al (2016). This framework is based on four core tasks for strategic decision-makers: detection, sense-making, coordination and crisis communication. Each chapter focuses on a core task. 

Used online sources:

Additional views to the Senate report (Lieberman).

Animation of flash flood by Dan Swenson for Times-Picayune. Made 10 years after Katrina.

Auf der Heide, 2004, The disaster syndrome and looting.

Bush’s speech at Jackson Square on September 15, 2005.


Catastrophic Incident Annex to the National Response Framework.

Catastrophic Incident Supplement to the National Response Plan (april 2005).

CBS: Gretna sealed for evacuees.

Clip 5.30 am: St. Bernard Parish flooding on 29 August 2005. From The Big Uneasy (official) Harry Shearer’s full-length 2010 documentary.

Clip 8.15 am: Overtopping of Leeds canal embankment and flooding of park on 29 August 2005. From The Big Uneasy (official) Harry Shearer’s full-length 2010 documentary.

Clip: 10.30 am: London Avenue Canal breach on 29 August 2005. From The Big Uneasy (official) Harry Shearer’s full-length 2010 documentary.

Clip: 4:30 am: Industrial Canal levee breach on 29 August 2005. From The Big Uneasy (official) Harry Shearer’s full-length 2010 documentary.

Clip: 6.30 am: The first breach in 17th Street levee on 29 August 2005. From The Big Uneasy (official) Harry Shearer’s full-length 2010 documentary.

Clip: 7:45 am: Flooding of Lower 9th Ward on 29 August 2005. From The Big Uneasy (official) Harry Shearer’s full-length 2010 documentary.

Clip: 8.30 am: Overtopping of levee at lakefront airport on 29 August 2005. From The Big Uneasy (official) Harry Shearer’s full-length 2010 documentary.

Clip: 9.30 am: London Avenue breach at Mirabeau on 29 August 2005. From The Big Uneasy (official) Harry Shearer’s full-length 2010 documentary.

Clip: R. T. Syles, (2006), ‘President Bush and Hurricane Katrina: A Presidential Leadership Study’, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 604(1).

CNN: list of companies that donated money and money after Katrina.

CNN: Racism, resources blamed for bridge incident.

CNN: Transcript from an interview with Blanco’s press aide on September 11, 2005 in which they briefly discuss the fact that Blanco admitted to her that she should have called in the military earlier.


Documentary: The Big Uneasy by Harry Shearer.

During the 1965 Hurricane Betsy, rumour said that mayor Schiro let coloured people drown by pumping the water into the 9th ward to influence elections.

 

FedEx Express assisted in shipping foreign aid to the U.S. in the wake of Katrina. the company offered to provide transportation for relief supplies from NATO countries.

Fink, 2014, Hurricane Katrina after the Flood.

Fivethirthyeight: determining exact numbers of deaths remains difficult.

Forbes: list of private donations of famous people.

Foxnews: Waffle House index.

 

GAO’s Preliminary Observations Regarding Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.

GOA report: FEMA has made progress since Katrina but challenges remain.

Graphic images of corpses after Katrina 1.

Graphic images of corpses after Katrina 2.

 

Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5.

House report: A Failure of Initiative. Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina.

House report: supplementary report and document annex.

Houston Chronicle: Article on the lack of evacuation and subsequently death of residents of a large part of the nursing homes.

Hurricane Katrina 2005 News Media Coverage (105 Min.)

Hurricane Katrina Document Analysis: The E-Mails of Michael Brown.

Hurricane Katrina: Dimensions of a Major Disaster. Papers prepared for EMSE 334: Environmental Hazards Management Fall 2005 Dr. Paul Bourget, Professor.

 

Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force: Performance Evaluation of the New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana Hurricane Protection System.

Interview with Michael Brown in which he admits that the federal government did not know about the stranded victims at the convention Center.

Interview with Michael Brown in which he admits that the federal government did not know about the stranded victims at the convention Center.  (transcript).

 

J. Klayman & Y. W. Ha (1987), ‘Confirmation, Disconfirmation, and Information in Hypothesis Testing’, Psychological Review 94(2).

 

Katrina factsheet White House (August 31, 2005).

 

Media Matters: regarding the negative news publications from conservative media on the policy of state officials of Louisiana.

 

Nagin WWL radio interview audio August 2nd.

Nagin WWL radio interview transcript published September 2nd.

National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone report Hurricane Katrina (20 December 2005).

National Response Plan (August 2004).

NBC news: Blanco said to one of her aides before a press conference that she needed to call in the military and should have done so earlier.

New Orleans Office of Emergency Planning. (2004) Comprehensive emergency management plan.

Newsweek: what went wrong in the slow rescue.

NewYorker: During the 1965 Hurricane Betsy, rumour said that mayor Schiro let coloured people drown by pumping the water into the 9th ward to influence elections.

NOAA hurricane damage report.

NOAA/NWS: Memorandum that lists the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in the U.S. between 1851-2010.

NPR: Evacuees were not allowed to enter Gretna Louisiana due to a lack of resources.

NYT, Treaster & Goodnough (29 aug, 2005): powerful storm threatens havoc along Gulf Coast.

NYT (2012): High costs of federal relief.

NYT: Treaster & Sontag (2 Sept. 2005), Local Officials Criticize Federal Government Over Response.

 

Paper on looting and antisocial behaviour in disasters.

Paper on the lootings at New Orleans. Likely that there was no looting in the traditional sense.

Politico: Congress tackles hurricane relief.

PR Newswire: Home depot donations.

President Outlines Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts in the Rose Garden (August 31, 2005) transcript.

President Outlines Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts in the Rose Garden (August 31, 2005) video.

 

Report on the rumours regarding looting after hurricane Katrina.

Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended, and Related Authorities FEMA 592, June 2007.

 

Senate hearing. (Brown hearing) Hurricane Katrina. The roles of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency Leadership.

Senate hearing. Hurricane Katrina. The roles of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency Leadership.

Senate hearing: Challenges in a Catastrophe: Evacuating New Orleans in Advance of Hurricane Katrina.

Senate hearing: Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans: A Flooded City, A Chaotic Response (Bahamonde hearing).

Senate hearing: Hurricane Katrina: Perspectives of FEMA’s Operations Professionals.

Senate report: Hurricane Katrina. A nation Still Unprepared. Special Report of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Spike Lee, When the levees broke parts I & II.

Spike Lee, When the levees broke parts III & IV.

 

Times-Picayune: most Katrina deaths were old and lived near levees.

Times-Picayune: Police did not break the law in blocking Gretna bridge but it was still a mistake.

Times-Picayune: Rumors of deaths greatly exaggerated: Widely reported attacks false or unsubstantiated.

Transcript of Bush’s speech at Jackson Square on September 15, 2015.

 

USAtoday: five days inside the Superdome.

 

Washington Post: describing people’s desperation while waiting to be saved.

Website on hazard mitigation and disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

White House report: The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina. Lessons learned.

Wikipedia: a list of all tropical storms and hurricanes in 2004.

Wikipedia: a list of all tropical storms and hurricanes in 2005.