Katrina overview. Events leading upto August 29, 2005

[DrDebug]

I thought it was time to summarize all the events which we have gathered so far about Katrina. This post is about the history leading upto Katrina striking New Orleans.

Special thanks to Eloriel for starting to collect the links and all the people who have helped in gathering all kinds of information.


Timeline leading upto the Katrina hitting the Gulf Coast

1906
April 18, 1906: An earthquake struck San Francisco at 5:13 AM. All of the tents in the U.S. Army were on their way to San Francisco by 4:55 AM the next morning. By April 20 the whole city was evacuated (19)

1927
The Great Mississippi Flood in 1927 was the most destructive flood in United States history. In the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 the Mississippi River broke out of its levee system in 145 places and flooded 27,000 square miles or about 16,570,627 acres (70,000 km²). The area was inundated up to a depth of 30 feet (10 m). The flood caused over $400 million in damages and killed 246 people in seven states. (13)

1953
The North Sea Flood of 1953 affected the United Kingdom and The Netherlands on the night of 31 January 1953 – 1 February 1953. Belgium, Denmark and France were also affected. A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a tidal surge of the North Sea up to 3.36 m which overwhelmed sea defences and caused extensive flooding. Officially, 1,835 people were killed in The Netherlands, mostly in the south-western province of Zeeland. 307 were killed in the United Kingdom, in the counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. (15)

In the UK investment was made in new sea defences, and the Thames Barrier programme was started to secure central London. In The Netherlands an ambitious flood defence system was conceived and deployed - the Delta Works - to protect the estuary of Rhine and Meuse. The works were completed in 1998 with a storm surge barrier in the Nieuwe waterweg near Rotterdam. (15)

1962
February 16th: Germany, Hamburg and western coastal areas: High tide and strong wind conditions led to the failure of the levee - system, more than 150,000 people impacted, 315 died (16)

1979
Jimmy Carter creates FEMA to handle the country's worst-case scenarios. In theory, it's responsible for "all hazards," which means the agency coordinates efforts to keep the United States safe from the full spectrum of domestic dangers, be they "acts of God" like weather emergencies or acts of human enemies like al-Qaeda terrorists. (27)

1980s
The Reagan administration endowed FEMA with extraordinary powers to keep the country running – powers bordering on martial law, critics argued (27)

1992
August 24, 1992: The Hurricane Andrew Cover-up. The authorities grossly understated the death toll from hurricane Andrew, the worst natural disaster in US history, and left thousands of survivors to die in a zone contaminated by radiation. (11) The severity of the storm caught FEMA off guard, and the agency did too little, too late to help the state recover, enraging thousands of storm victims. (27)

1993
Clinton's new FEMA director, James Lee Witt, set the agency on a corrective course. Witt, who had served under then-governor Clinton as director of Arkansas emergency management, embarked on an ambitious campaign to bulk up the agency's natural disaster programs while staying prepared for "all hazards." (27)

June 7, 1993: The Great Flood of 1993 was a huge, costly, and devastating flood that occurred in the American Midwest from April to October of 1993. It was the worst such U.S. disaster since the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, as measured by duration, square miles inundated, persons displaced, crop and property damage, and number of record river levels. In some categories, it surpassed even the 1927 flood. Starting as early as June 7, reports of levees being overtopped and levee breaks became common. (14)

2001
FEMA designates a major hurricane hitting New Orleans as one of the three "likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country." (12)

January 2001: Bush appoints Joe Allbaugh, a crony from Texas, as head of FEMA. Allbaugh has no previous experience in disaster management. (12)

February 2001: the Bush administration proposed eliminating Project Impact, a move approved by Congress later in the year. (On the very day the White House proposal was submitted, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake rocked Washington state, which was home to several communities where Project Impact had sponsored quake mitigation efforts.) Ending the project and trimming other FEMA programs, the White House argued, would save roughly $200 million. In its place, FEMA instituted a new program of mitigation grants that are awarded on a competitive basis. (27)

April 2001: Budget Director Mitch Daniels announces the Bush administration's goal of privatizing much of FEMA's work. In May, Allbaugh confirms that FEMA will be downsized: "Many are concerned that federal disaster assistance may have evolved into both an oversized entitlement program...." he said. "Expectations of when the federal government should be involved and the degree of involvement may have ballooned beyond what is an appropriate level." (12)

2002
It's only a matter of time before south Louisiana takes a direct hit from a major hurricane. Billions have been spent to protect us, but we grow more vulnerable every day. "A catastrophic hurricane represents 10 or 15 atomic bombs in terms of the energy it releases," said Joseph Suhayda, a Louisiana State University engineer who is studying ways to limit hurricane damage in the New Orleans area. "Think about it. New York lost two big buildings. Multiply that by 10 or 20 or 30 in the area impacted and the people lost, and we know what could happen." Hundreds of thousands would be left homeless, and it would take months to dry out the area and begin to make it livable. But there wouldn't be much for residents to come home to. The local economy would be in ruins. (33)

April 2002: Northern Command (NorthCom) was created specifically designated for domestic deployment, and under Federal/Pentagon command. Meanwhile, the National Guard, which is normally under the command of state governors is being effectively moved out of the picture by being deployed to fight on foreign soil. Our National Guards have always been our neighbors, folks with roots in the communities they were supposed to serve. But they've been sent away, and along with that comes the end of state control over any domestic use of the military. (24)

June 23-27, 2002: The New Orleans Times-Picayune (1) publishes a series of articles called "Washing Away." (2) The article details the problems with the New Orleans levee system, gives predictions about what would happen to the city during a major hurricane, and provides information on evacuation difficulties and costs of rebuilding. The article states that even a Category 3 storm (Katrina was Category 4) would "would turn the city and the east bank of Jefferson Parish into a lake as much as 30 feet deep, fouled with chemicals and waste from ruined septic systems, businesses and homes. Such a flood could trap hundreds of thousands of people in buildings and in vehicles. At the same time, high winds and tornadoes would tear at everything left standing. Between 25,000 and 100,000 people would die, said John Clizbe, national vice president for disaster services with the American Red Cross. "

Despite this, funding for Army Corps of Engineers projects would be cut in each of the next three years, and in 2003, the Bush Administration eased restrictions on wetland developement south of the city. (21)

September 20, 2002: Officials are stunned by this scenario: They say there's got to be something they can do to save New Orleans and save people's lives. So they're thinking about building more levees and building them higher. They're thinking about building new highways, so people can evacuate faster. And they're calling for a massive project to rebuild some of the vanishing wetlands. (25)

September 30, 2002: Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) addresses the US Senate about the President's cuts to programs vital to protecting the city of New Orleans. In part, she says, "Because the City of New Orleans is below sea level and surrounded by levees, every drop of rain that lands there must be pumped out. This important job is accomplished by local, State, and Federal agencies working together to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place and working much of this work is done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, in the President's budget request submitted to Congress this year, funding for the southeast Louisiana Flood Control Project, (SELA), was cut by an astonishing 50 pecent." The cuts happened anyway. (21)

October 2, 2002: Sen. Landrieu again addresses the Senate about Louisiana's need for extra help in preparing for hurricanes -- especially wetland protection and restoration. "We are telling you and begging this Senate and this Congress to recognize benefits Louisiana provides to the Nation. Louisiana is proud of that, but we need extra Federal help to secure this marshland, to help rebuild it, and protect us. If Louisiana does not receive help the wetlands will disappear, and the people of Louisiana will be sitting ducks for future floods and storms," the Senator says. (21)

December 2002: After less than two years at FEMA, Allbaugh announces he is leaving to start up a consulting firm that advises companies seeking to do business in Iraq. He is succeeded by his deputy, Michael Brown, who, like Allbaugh, has no previous experience in disaster management. (12)

2003
The Department of Homeland Security is estabished. The Department's website (3) states that "in the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility" in order that "emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation." Tom Ridge, the first Secretary of the Department says "We’re meeting our goals by reorganizing to better mobilize the people and resources of the Department to make America more secure. " (21)

Joseph Allbaugh, the FEMA director who got the job because he was a top worker in Bush's campaign steps down. Replacing him is Michael Brown, Allbaugh's former college roommate, a man who's previous job experience included a losing run for congress and being fired from International Arabian Horse Association. (21)

March 2003: FEMA is downgraded from a cabinet level position and folded into the Department of Homeland Security. Its mission is refocused on fighting acts of terrorism. (12)

March 1, 2003 Michael Brown, a college friend of Allbaugh's who had served as FEMA's general counsel, was recruited to head the agency, which would now be part of the DHS's Emergency and Response Directorate. (27)

Summer 2003 - FEMA's headquarters staff was forced to cancel disaster training drills due to budget shortfalls (27)

2004
February 16, 2004 - In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq soared, President Bush proposed spending less than 20 percent of what the Corps said was needed for Lake Pontchartrain, according to an article, in New Orleans CityBusiness. (8)

February 22, 2004 - Climate change over the next 20 years could result in a global catastrophe costing millions of lives in wars and natural disasters.. A secret report, suppressed by US defense chiefs and obtained by The Observer, warns that major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a 'Siberian' climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega- droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world. (9)

April 2004 - Though they may be infrequent, the risk of not preparing for evacuations can be devastating. Evacuations have the potential to directly improve the safety of more people than any other single transportation scenario. In New Orleans, where the local topography virtually assures the inundation of the entire metropolitan area in most medium to strong hurricanes, a full evacuation of the area is a necessity and the price of not doing so could be measured in thousands of lives. (30)

The number of people without access to transportation in New Orleans has been estimated as high as 25- 30% of the population and includes over a quarter million people. In addition to people without vehicles, potential evacuees can include the indigent, elderly, prisoners, the infirm and tourists. Evacuation of these low-mobility and special needs groups is an area that, while included in most state emergency operation plans, has been largely unaddressed by DOTs. (30)

Summer 2004: FEMA denies Louisiana's pre-disaster mitigation funding requests. Says Jefferson Parish flood zone manager Tom Rodrigue: "You would think we would get maximum consideration....This is what the grant program called for. We were more than qualified for it." (12)

June 3, 2004: Disaster planning privatized by Homeland Security - IEM, Inc., the Baton Rouge-based emergency management and homeland security consultant, will lead the development of a catastrophic hurricane disaster plan for Southeast Louisiana and the City of New Orleans under a more than half a million dollar contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). (28)

June 8, 2004: It appears that the money has been moved in the president’s budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that’s the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can’t be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us. -- Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana (7)

June 18, 2004: "The system is in great shape, but the levees are sinking. Everything is sinking, and if we don’t get the money fast enough to raise them, then we can’t stay ahead of the settlement," he said. "The problem that we have isn’t that the levee is low, but that the federal funds have dried up so that we can’t raise them."... (21)

About $300,000 in federal money was proposed for the 2005 fiscal-year budget, and the state had agreed to match that amount. But the cost of the Iraq war forced the Bush administration to order the New Orleans district office not to begin any new studies, and the 2005 budget no longer includes the needed money, he said.” (8)

July 23, 2004: FEMA releases the results of "Hurricane Pam," (4) a hurricane simulation based on a direct landfall of a storm in New Orleans. The simulation stated that a hurricane in New Orleans would result in:

* 30 million cubic yards of debris and 237,000 cubic yards of household hazardous waste
* the need for about 1,000 shelters to be kept open 100 days
* the likely breach of the existing levee system (21)

FEMA and DHS are supposed to come up with a "master plan" for New Orleans based on this study but money ran out and the plan was never produced. (17)

August 13, 2004: With Hurricane Charley's 145 mile-per-hour winds impacting the Florida coast, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has pre-positioned personnel and supplies for rapid response to areas that will need emergency assistance from this Category 4 strength storm. (32)

September 14, 2004: The Washington Post (5) reports that Walter Maestri, an emergency manager, has 10,000 body bags ready in case a major hurricane ever hits New Orleans. The article says, "If a strong Category 4 storm such as Ivan made a direct hit, he warned, 50,000 people could drown, and this city of Mardi Gras and jazz could cease to exist." The article also talks about the budget cuts that George Bush foisted on the state of Louisiana for provention measures. (21)

September 15, 2004: Sen. Landrieu again addresses the Senate, this time talking about the predictions of what a hurricane could do to New Orleans. "We are talking about severe devastation when a category 3 or category 4 or category 5 hurricane pushes that water out of the gulf, out of Lake Ponchartrain into the tremendously populated areas around the gulf coast." (21)

Senator Landrieu concludes by saying, "I hate to say maybe it is going to take the loss thousands of lives on the gulf coast to make this country wake up and realize in what we are under- investing. " (21)

September 22, 2004: "That second study - to repair the levee system - would take about four years to complete and would cost about $4 million, said Army Corps of Engineers project manager Al Naomi. About $300,000 in federal money was proposed for the 2005 fiscal-year budget, and the state had agreed to match that amount. But the cost of the Iraq war forced the Bush administration to order the New Orleans district office not to begin any new studies, and the 2005 budget no longer includes the needed money, he said." (10)

October 2004: Fictional story in the National Geographic of 2004 about what would happen if New Orleans was hit by a hurricane. It was a broiling August afternoon in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Big Easy, the City That Care Forgot ... But the next day the storm gathered steam and drew a bead on the city . As the whirling maelstrom approached the coast, more than a million people evacuated to higher ground. Some 200,000 remained, however—the car-less, the homeless, the aged and infirm, and those die-hard New Orleanians who look for any excuse to throw a party. (18)

The water crept to the top of the massive berm that holds back the lake and then spilled over. Nearly 80 percent of New Orleans lies below sea level—more than eight feet below in places—so the water poured in. (18)

November 29–December 3, 2004: Over 90 participants met in New Orleans to continue planning for three topics: sheltering, temporary housing, and temporary medical care. These three topics were chosen by the workshop’s Unified Command as areas that needed continued group planning. The outcome of these workshops is a series of functional plans that may be implemented immediately. Along with these plans, resource shortfalls were identified early, saving valuable time in the event an actual response is warranted. It is because of the dedication of every workshop participant that Louisiana is much better prepared for a catastrophic hurricane. (29)

2005
January 26, 2005: Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) addresses the House of Representatives (6) and urges Congress to pay attention to New Orleans. "The experience of Southeast Asia should convince us all of the urgent need for congressional action to prevent wide-scale loss of life and economic destruction at home and abroad. Prevention and planning will pay off," he says. (21)

June 6, 2005: A study to determine ways to protect the region from a Category 5 hurricane has been shelved for now (26)

June 2005: Funding for the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cut by a record $71.2 million. One of the hardest-hit areas is the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, which was created after the May 1995 flood to improve drainage in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes. (12)

July 24, 2005: An article in the New Orleans Times Picayune (not available online) reveals how unprepared officials were for a hurricane, especially as it affected the city's poor, RAW STORY has learned. "City, state and federal emergency officials are preparing to give the poorest of New Orleans' poor a historically blunt message: In the event of a major hurricane, you're on your own." (23)

August 1, 2005: When members of the Louisiana National Guard left for Iraq in October <2004>, they took a lot equipment with them. Dozens of high water vehicles, humvees, refuelers and generators are now abroad, and in the event of a major natural disaster that, could be a problem. (22)

August 24, 2005: Tropical Storm Katrina Heads for Miami. A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning is currently in effect for Florida's east coast from Vero Beach, about 150 miles north of Miami, south into the Florida Keys. As of Wednesday afternoon the storm is about 200 miles off the coast of Florida. (34)

August 25, 2005:
Hurricane Katrina hit Florida late Thursday, August 25th, as a Category 1 hurricane. 9 people were killed. The storm then moved into the Gulf of Mexico, where it gained momentum and power. Below is a timeline of events over the next few days as the Bush administration ignored one of the biggest natural disasters ever to strike the United States. (35)

As Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in southern Florida, Bush is at his ranch in Crawford, Texas and defends his habit of taking lengthy vacations. ... Later, White House spokesperson David Almacy denies Bush is on vacation claiming the reason that Bush is in Crawford is "due to the renovation of the West Wing of the White House." (36)

August 26, 2005:
Governor Kathleen Blanco declares State of Emergency (37)

White House declares impending disaster area and orders DHS and FEMA to prepare "to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures" in the path of the storm. (38)

The declaration does not include parishes on the Gulf of Mexico (39)

Red Cross Responds to Hurricane Katrina "Katrina made came ashore of Fort Lauderdale, around 6:30 p.m. last night with sustained winds of 75 mph and reports of gusts up to 95 mph. Trees and power lines went down all across the region and at least four people were killed, three of them by trees falling on their vehicles. The other was killed in a traffic accident. A family of five is also listed as missing as sea." (40)

Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, commander, Joint Task Force Katrina, acknowledges in Special Defense Department Briefing held on Sept. 1 that a request from the state governors in Louisiana, Mississippi was requested a week earlier Friday Aug. 26. (41)

August 27, 2005:
President Declares Major Disaster For Louisiana. An emergency declaration of August 27 released federal resources to help meet immediate life-saving and life-sustaining human needs and protecting property in addition to other emergency protective measures. Debris removal and emergency services to assist law enforcement with evacuations and establishment of shelters are also eligible costs covered by the federal funding. (31)

Katrina, the sixth deadliest hurricane to hit Florida in a year, moves westwards toward the Gulf Coast at nearly 7mph (11kph). Forecasters said the hurricane, expected to make landfall on Monday, could hit anywhere from Florida to Louisiana. (42)

Bush was at his vacation home in Crawford Texas avoiding Cindy Sheehan (35)

Residents in Louisiana told to pack up and get out as Katrina heads for coast. During the day, residents of Louisiana's low-lying areas are told they must evacuate; residents in other low-lying areas are urgently advised to do so. (43)

Governor Kathleen Blanco request federal assistance from President Bush. (44)

Bush declares a state of emergency. (38)

Mayor Ray Nagin called for a voluntary evacuation of the city. Greyhound & Amtrak stop service in New Orleans late Saturday Night (35)

August 28, 2005:
After Bush's incomplete disaster declaration (39) the day before, Governor Blanco sends a second letter (45) requesting a federal disaster declaration and specifically naming the Parishes most at risk.

"I have determined that this incident will be of such severity and magnitude that effective response will be beyond the capabilities of the State and the affected local governments"

Meteorologist issue a hurricane warning for the north central gulf coast from Morgan City eartward to the Alabama/Florida border.. including the city of New Orleans. Preparations to protect life and property should be completed this evening ... Some levees in the greater New Orleans area could be overtopped. (20) Brown and Chertoff receive Hurricane Center briefings about risk of levee breach in New Orleans (46)

From his Texas ranch Bush warned, "We cannot stress enough the danger this hurricane poses to Gulf Coast communities. We will do everything in our power to help the people and the communities affected by this storm." "These declarations will allow federal agencies to coordinate all disaster relief efforts with state and local officials," Bush said. (47)

Mayor Ray Nagin orders mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. Experts predict that Hurricane Katrina will hit the city with all the force and power of a Category 5 storm - and that 60- 80% of the city's homes will be destroyed. (48)

Bush is still on vacation at his Crawford ranch. He holds a press conference in a helicopter hanger at his Crawford Texas Ranch - taking a moment to urge Gulf Coast residents to evacuate before hailing the Iraqi draft constitution an inspiring success. (47)

August 29, 2005:
On 6:10 Katrina hit the Gulf Coast

Sources:
(1) http://www.nola.com/
(2) http://www.nola.com/hurricane/?/washingaway/
(3) http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/theme_home2.jsp
(4) http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=13051
(5) http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A20277-2004Sep14?language=printer
(6) http://www.blumenauer.house.gov/issues/ FloorSpeechSummary.aspx?NewsID=1227&IssueID=0
(7) http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/002331.html
(8) http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/08/bush-took-new-orleans-disaster-funds.html
(9) http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4864237-102275,00.html
(10) http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001051313
(11) http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/hurricane.html
(12) http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_09/007023.php
(13) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Mississippi_Flood_of_1927
(14) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Flood_of_1993
(15) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea_Flood_of_1953
(16) http://www.emergency-management.net/flood.htm
(17) http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/politics/12549282.htm
(18) http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature5/
(19) http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist10/06timeline.html
(20) http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/6/3840/39445
(21) http://myrrander.blogspot.com/2005/09/timeline-of-hurricane-katrina-and.html
(22) http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4552525 (original source no longer online)
(23) http://rawstory.com/news/2005/July_2005_article_reveals_Red_Cross_told_poor_Youre_on_your_o_0902.html
(24) http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO411C.html
(25) http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_neworleans.html
(26) http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4200/is_20050606/ai_n14657367
(27) http://www.sfbg.com/38/52/news_fema.html
(28) http://www.ieminc.com/Whats_New/Press_Releases/pressrelease060304_Catastrophic.htm
(29) http://www.lepa.org/Newsletter/Spring_2005.pdf
(30) http://hurricane.lsu.edu/_in_the_news/tmemag0404.htm
(31) http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18478
(32) http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=3942
(33) http://www.nola.com/hurricane/?/washingaway
(34) http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_507_4454,00.html
(35) http://www.majorityreportradio.com/data/op-ed/archives/002780.php
(36) http://thinkprogress.org/2005/08/24/vacation-denial/
(37) http://gov.louisiana.gov/2005%20%20proclamations/48pro2005-Emergency-HurricaneKatrina.pdf
(38) http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html
(39) http://www.bobharris.com/content/view/637/1/
(40) http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_507_4462,00.html
(41) http://www.dod.gov/transcripts/2005/tr20050901-3843.html
(42) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4184580.stm
(43) http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0827katrinalouisiana,0,7618783.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
(44) http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%20Relief%20Request.pdf
(45) http://www.gratisnet.com/KatrinaHelp.pdf
(46) http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001054595
(47) http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Hurricane_Katrina_Chronology
(48) http://www.majorityreportradio.com/data/op-ed/archives/002780.php

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. kick

[acmejack]

2. Nice job!

Thanx for your efforts.

[chalky]

3. Holey-moley.

kicked and nommed.

[rodeodance]

4. whow. thanks this is a KEEPER

[Redstone]

5. God damn. I'm impressed. I'm not only bookmarking this, but also printing

it for the edification of the dunderheaded "blame game" rightwing apologists, of which there are FAR too many.

If they'll pay attention when they read it, which is far from certain.

This is magnificent work by you two; I salute you.

Redstone

[LynzM]

6. Thank you SO much

I've been looking around for something like this, and this is BY FAR the most comprehensive collection I've seen. Awesome. Thank you!!

[Shadder]

7. Nice Job

I'd like to add some of your listings to my Katrina Time website if you don't mind

http://www.katrinatimeline.org

[DrDebug]

8. Sure :)

I didn't even know about your site... :blush:

[Shadder]

10. Thanks

I'll start adding info this afternoon to it. I'm not suprised that you did not know about it, there has just been way too much joing on and things like this are coming and going too fast to catch all of them.

Anyone else that wants to add anything please let me know.

[Land Shark]

9. kick for a job well done

and on edit, some useful history of the levees in Louisiana can be gleaned from this link/review of a book of history from 1997

http://www.salon.com/april97/columnists/carville970407.html
(levees dynamited on purpose, probably locals diverting floodwaters away from their own property, other locals attempt to shoot on sight possible levee terrorists)

Why no terrorism investigation when big holes got blown in levees? The simple idea that it's *possible* or even plausible that water itself did it (assuming that as true) doesn't mean there should not be an open mind to all possibilities and an investigation.

[DrDebug]

11. Kick

Response to George Bush and His Administration's lagged response to the Gulf Coast Tragedy.

Myone “Hands Up” featuring Kay, produced by Symbolyc One b/w The Legendary K.O. “George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People”, produced by Kanye West.

Free download:
http://www.archive.org/details/George_Bush_Doesnt_Like_Black_People

Copyright statement: Distribute as you please.

[DrDebug]

12. kick

[LynzM]

13. Kickin' it

This is a GREAT thread, dudes.