In defense of NOLA and LA officials.....

[steve2470]

Granted, I've never been in government or disaster preparedness. Here's my points:

1- Hurricanes are still unpredictable, even with our technology.
2- To call a mandatory evacuation without "good proof" would subject the officials to ridicule, disbelief and possible lawsuits. Yes, you read right. Some people would sue and win.
3- If mandatory evacuations are called every time a hurricane enters the gulf, after a while some people are going to tune out and just sit there.
4- Some people will not leave no matter what.
5- If I lived in New Orleans and had resources, I think I'd be high tailing it out of town pretty early. I live 50 miles inland in Florida, so I've gotten pretty relaxed about hurricanes except for last year. Ugh.

I'm not saying they have done a perfect job, but I can see why the Mayor waited. The mayor does seem like a decent dude. Just my gut feeling.

[bribri16]

1. I doubt that most of those criticizing live in place where an evacuation

of such magnitude would have taken place a smoothly.

[steve2470]

2. I think you're right.

What really should be done is to standardize the magical trigger of mandatory evacuation and make realistic plans to evacuate everyone.

[moc]

3. Totally agree. It's easy to be an armchair quarterback

from the safety of your living room hundreds of miles or more from the coast.

Hurricanes are extremely unpredictable. I'm sure the mayor is making the best decisions he can based on the information he has. I saw an interview with the head of emergency services for Orleans Parrish, and I didn't hear him say anything about the mayor making a mistake not calling for evacuation earlier. I'm sure he's in a better position to know than any of us are.

[DemNoir]

4. Could not be done

As one of the Parish Presidents said in this afternoons news conference, they simply do not have the resources to enforce a mandatory evacuation.

[salib]

5. All your points simply explain why we feel they dropped the ball

Hurricanes are unpredictable. New Orleans is at dire risk if a major one hits. Little advance certain warning would be available.

This was all known. Hundreds of thousands of people are at risk. Certain risk eventually.

So, plan for this. Do not simply say we are not prepared. That is the MOST ABOMINABLE "excuse" that there is: we are not prepared. Figure out a way to evacuate on that short a notice, or provide flood-proof solutions to place people in that short of a time.

I say it again: we are not prepared is the absolute worst thing one can say. Preparations are PRECISELY what leaders, managers, etc., are supposed to do.

[MidnightWind]

6. I've lived in hurricane zones-this was as late a mandatory evac

as I've ever seen and this is a much worse hurricane than I've ever seen. Sorry, but they dropped the ball and people may die as a result.

[AuntPatsy]

7. Good point because honestly I wouldn't leave strictly because of

what happened during Gilbert, the worst storm in history etc, made everyone around here nutcases and tied up in knots, didn't even end up getting any rain where I was, and the people that did leave got hit by Tornados further north...

I guess it all comes down to how serious you yourself choose to take it...

In this case though with NO, the huge threat of flooding would more than likely get me to pack up, but not here on the coast in Texas, I'd ride it out.