Verified Document

Government Roles In Disaster Recovery Term Paper

He also says that with Hurricane Andrew, about two million residents were evacuated and only about 10% we left homeless whereas with Hurricane Katrina approximately the same number of residents were evacuated yet over 90% were left homeless (Halton, 2006). This was much more of a burden than FEMA had anticipated and it was a result of poor emergency response at lower levels of government. Even still, FEMA should have been better prepared to handle the situation. They should have been called in earlier than they were and if this were the case they situation would have been easier to manage. Paulison says that FEMA was not fully aware of what was needed and where. This is a result of poor communication. By the time they were called in, the situation was the main story on all media outlets, especially television. FEMA should have had a strong sense of what was going on and what the immediate needs of the people were. There is no excuse for people going without food and water for days if FEMA had an abundant supply of these things.

Along with FEMA at the federal level of government, President Bush probably received the most criticism for the way that the situation was handled. He has been accused of everything from a slow response to Hurricane Katrina because the majority of the residents were African-American to the National Guard was short staffed because too many were service overseas in the war on Iraq. Many regard the fact that Bush remained on vacation two days after the hurricane hit as his lack of concern for the suffering citizens of New Orleans. The president even refused help from international governments saying that America can fend for itself. Even the president's wife, Barbara Bush came under fire for her flippant remarks about how the residents should be used to living in the conditions that were at the Superdome because, according to her, those conditions were probably much better than where they lived before.

Although President Bush cannot take all of the blame for Hurricane Katrina, he certainly bears a substantial amount of the blame. His apparent lack of concern is what stays with most people as many have expressed disbelief that this country rushed to the aid of the Tsunami victims in 2004, yet it did not appear to be concerned about its own. His refusal of international help solidified for many that he really did not care about the residents of New Orleans or their welfare. What Bush should have done was take control of the National Guard from...

It was obvious that the people were suffering and in need of relief and if Bush saw that Blanco was dragging her feet, he should have exercised control and allowed the federal government to take over the relief and recovery efforts.
Not only did the majority of the American public blame Bush for the Hurricane Karina fiasco, political cartoonist threw their hat in the ring, too. According to Kelley-Romano and Westgate, "Political cartoons fulfill a unique function in an age of instantaneous media. During times of crisis, as citizens are able to watch disasters unfold on television and computer screens, political cartoons critique situations, make attributions, and attack those presumed to be responsible." (2007). This statement became evident after the many caricatures of President Bush were seen in the aftermath. Most of them portray the president in a negative light and as a buffoon.

Conclusion

No one can accurately predict the devastation that will be caused in a natural disaster such as a hurricane. This does not imply that emergency preparedness should not occur at all levels of government. The purpose of planning for a disaster is to follow through with the plan in case a disaster actually strikes. The city of New Orleans is no stranger to hurricanes. They have been experiencing them for years with some being mild and some severe. There was poor preparation and response on the part of all three levels of government, but the local level should bear the brunt of the blame because of the mayor's lack of follow through with the plan already set in place. Because he did not do as he should have, this disaster escalated into a tragedy that could have been avoided. Everyone pointed fingers at the other party and all three levels should share in the responsibility because all failed the citizens of New Orleans on some level during this ordeal. Hopefully, lessons were learned so that a tragedy of this magnitude will never be repeated.

Bibliography

Halton, B. (2006). FEMA's response to Hurricane Katrina. Fire Engineering, 159(5), 213-218.

Kelley-Romano, S. And Westgate, V. (2007). Blaming Bush: An analysis of political cartoons following Hurricane Katrina. Journalism Studies, 8(5), 755-719.

Perry, R.W. And Lindell, M.K. (2003). Preparedness for emergency response: Guidelines for emergency planning process. Disasters, 27(4), 336-350.

Sources used in this document:
Bibliography

Halton, B. (2006). FEMA's response to Hurricane Katrina. Fire Engineering, 159(5), 213-218.

Kelley-Romano, S. And Westgate, V. (2007). Blaming Bush: An analysis of political cartoons following Hurricane Katrina. Journalism Studies, 8(5), 755-719.

Perry, R.W. And Lindell, M.K. (2003). Preparedness for emergency response: Guidelines for emergency planning process. Disasters, 27(4), 336-350.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Disaster Recovery Refers to the IT Components
Words: 1705 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Disaster recovery refers to the IT components of the business that, in times of a disaster, need to be safeguarded so that business can be continued. Disaster recovery is more a preventive plan set in motion prior to the organization and implementation of the business than a series of actions that are followed once the disaster hits the company. Given that most companies are, to a large extent and in

Disaster Recovery Centers, Hurricane Ready
Words: 2778 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

("About FEMA," 2007) The method followed by FEMA is to lead the country in cases of a disaster, in a risk-based comprehensive emergency management system that would have as its important tenets preparedness, protection, response and recovery, and finally, mitigation of the losses that the people have suffered. These are some of the plans that FEMA has in place, and for which it recruits trainees: the National Response Plan, strategic

Disaster Recovery Plan XYZ Retail
Words: 2422 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

Avoid dangerous spots near a window, hanging objects, mirrors, or merchandise fixtures If you take cover under a piece of furniture, be sure to hold onto it. If the furniture moves be prepared to move and navigate along with it Hold the position until the aftershock abates and it's safe to proceed further. Scenario 4 A pandemic or other people disaster has struck, and people resources (employees) have been impacted. Floods Being located in South Florida,

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Words: 2036 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

Protection for employees If employees adhere to the rules of the acceptable use policy, there are less liable to questionable issues. This also prevents them from engaging in hazardous internet issues, for instance, they are less likely to disclose their contacts to crackers using social engineering approaches. Moreover, ABBA should settle on using universal guidelines and principles with respect to network security, it risk assessment, risk analysis, and risk management. In

Impact of Information Technology on Disaster Recovery and Contingency...
Words: 2616 Length: 9 Document Type: Term Paper

New York State firefighting history is a microcosm of early and modern disaster preparedness. Definition of disaster in the historic era and modern era. Early historical facts. The need for uninterrupted communication. Response to needs. Advent of the Internet. New needs, new responses. Worthiness of Disaster Recovery and Contingency Plans for keeping communications flowing smoothly. The overall importance of communication. The firefighting department of New York City, generally considered to be the first of organized efforts to combat community

Recovery Disaster and Crisis
Words: 1650 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

Disaster Recovery Recovery: Disaster and Crisis Disaster recovery has become an important aspect of a company's strategic plan. The main reason for an increased concern can be attributed to the fact that integration and alliances at an international level have increased so that there are more linkages and higher interdependencies that have increased the exposure of people to international risk. This also means that companies are more prone to be affected by

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now