Warned about the potential for breach of the levees, knowing that destruction could be widespread and unprecedented, and while most of us paying attention watched what we knew was the slowly unfolding implosion of New Orleans, Bush played guitar, attended photo-ops, and otherwise failed to do anything of substance. Here's what the National Hurricane Center posted on Sunday morning:
WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS. [emphasis added]
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 A.M. CDT SUN AUG 28 2005
...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED...
.HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH
UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF
HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.
MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...
PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED
HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS
WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR
DESTROYED.
THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON
FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE
IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT
BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE
APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.
HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY
DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL
WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.
AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE
HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT
VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE
MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL
DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO
THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.
POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES
WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR
UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...
BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN.
LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED.
AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN
SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS
AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT
12 TO 24 HOURS. ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE!
I know people are well familiar with the Katrina non-response. But it is nonetheless critical to remember how utterly unprepared this man is for the job he has been given. No great foresight was required. In addition to the many warnings like the one above, Bush was told, before going off to play guitar with country singer Mark Willis for photographers, by the director of the NHC Max Mayfield: "This is a category 5 hurricane, very similar to Hurricane Andrew in the maximum intensity, but there’s a big big difference. This hurricane is much larger than Andrew ever was. I also want to make absolutely clear to everyone that the greatest potential for large loss of lives is still in the coastal areas from the storm surge. … I don’t think anyone can tell you with any confidence right now whether the levees will be topped or not, but there’s obviously a very very grave concern."
Bush must be held to account.
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