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Three Years Later, Katrina Lessons Put To Good Use

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 3, 2008

When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast three years ago, a staggering degree of incompetence emerged at every level of government. From New Orleans city hall to the White House, no one was prepared to deal with the Category 3 storm and its devastating aftermath.

But if Katrina was an American disgrace, the response to Hurricane Gustav, which hit New Orleans Monday, showed that local, state and federal leaders have learned much.

No indifference greeted this storm, which at one time promised to be as powerful as Katrina.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who was rightly scalded for his dithering performance during Katrina, made it clear that evacuations were mandatory and those who remained might die. This time, residents were remarkably cooperative.

Gov. Bobby Jindal mobilized state resources and appeared confident in command, a glaring contrast to the tentative leadership of former Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which seemed sluggish if not clueless three years ago, also was well-prepared and responsive. The coordination among emergency responders was impressive.

In all, some 2 million people were evacuated, a remarkable feat. Buses were available for those without vehicles. Evacuees were even allowed to take their dogs and cats, in contrast to Katrina, where people were forced to abandon their pets, most to perish.

Traffic, of course, was slow and there were complications during the evacuation. Some residents were put on buses without knowing where they would be taken, a practice that needs to change. There also was a problem with finding enough buses for people in wheelchairs.

But by the time Gustav reached shore, everyone who chose to leave New Orleans was safely away.

Gustav was not quite the massive storm feared, but it was still plenty dangerous. Its storm surge overtopped some levees, though flood damage appeared limited. Nearly 1.5 million households were left without power. And devastating damage occurred in coastal communities, where erosion is stripping the state's natural storm buffer. Restoring the Louisiana coastal wetlands, which have been destroyed by flood-control projects and canals built to serve the oil industry, should become a national priority.

Still, things could have been far worse.

And Floridians need to remain on guard.

With Gustav's remnants soaking northern Louisiana and Arkansas, a conveyor belt of storms has lined up in the Atlantic: tropical storms Hanna, Ike and Josephine.

Hanna requires the most watching - for now. It's forecast to skirt Florida's East Coast on Friday before tracking to South Carolina. But most of Florida remains in the dreaded "cone of uncertainty," so residents must stay tuned.

Floridians cannot become complacent when close calls don't materialize. Better to be inconvenienced by an evacuation than to suffer the deadly horror of a Katrina.

The biggest lesson of Katrina remains this: Pay attention to forecasts and be prepared to evacuate. It's a necessary part of living in the Sunshine State.

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