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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
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October
2005
Volume
9 - Number 1 |
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HURRICANE
KATRINA TIMELINE FOR AUGUST 29TH 2005 • 6:10 AM: Katrina becomes Cat 4
storm with 145 mph winds, makes initial landfall near Buras, La. Makes landfall.
FEMA director Michael Brown waits 5 hrs after Katrina has hit to ask his
boss, Michael Chertoff, for 1000 Homeland Security employees to be sent to
the region and gives them two days to arrive.
• Shortly before 8:00 AM: Storm surge sends water over the Industrial Canal. Soon afterwards, Army Corps of Engineers officials believe "a barge broke loose and crashed through the floodwall, opening a breach that accelerated flooding into the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish." • 8:00 AM: MAYOR NAGIN REPORTS THAT WATER IS FLOWING OVER LEVEE: “I’ve gotten reports this morning that there is already water coming over some of the levee systems. In the lower ninth ward, we’ve had one of our pumping stations to stop operating, so we will have significant flooding, it is just a matter of how much.” [NBC’s “Today Show”] • 8:14 AM: The National Weather Service New Orleans office issues a flash flood warning stating there had been a breach in the Industrial Canal levee with 3 to 8 feet of water expected in the 9th Ward and Arabi. • 9:00 AM: Eye of hurricane Katrina passes over city of New Orleans. 6 to 8 feet of water covers New Orleans Lower 9th Ward. • Mid-Morning: President Bush makes emergency disaster declarations for Louisiana , Mississippi, and Alabama, freeing up federal funds. En route from Texas to Arizona aboard Air Force One, President Bush calls Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to discuss illegal immigration. President Bush receives a briefing on Katrina from FEMA Director Michael Brown. The president receives a second briefing from Brown later in the day. Members of the White House staff, including Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin, participate in a Katrina video conference with federal and state officials from aboard Air Force One. Katrina rips two holes in the Superdome's roof. Some 10,000 storm refugees are inside. • 10:00 AM: Hurricane Katrina makes a third landfall near Pearlington, Mississippi, United States with 125 mph winds after crossing Breton Sound. President Bush appears at the Pueblo El Mirage RV Resort and Country Club in El Mirage, Arizona for a Medicare event as the hurricane makes second landfall. He adds, "I want to thank the governors of the affected regions for mobilizing assets prior to the arrival of the storm to help citizens avoid this devastating storm." • 10:06 AM: President Bush participates in discussion of new Medicare prescription drug program at Pueblo El Mirage RV Resort and Country Club in El Mirage, Arizona. (see White House transcript). • 11:00 AM: FEMA Director Michael Brown finally requests that DHS dispatches 1000 employees 5 hours after landfall - gives them 2 days to arrive. “Brown’s memo to Chertoff described Katrina as ‘this near catastrophic event’ but otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, ‘Thank you for your consideration in helping us to meet our responsibilities.’ Brown arrives in Baton Rouge at the State Office of Emergency Preparedness. • Late morning: 17th Street Canal levee is breached. “A large section of the vital 17th Street Canal levee, where it connects to the brand new ‘hurricane proof’ Old Hammond Highway bridge, gave way late Monday morning in Bucktown after Katrina’s fiercest winds were well north.” [Times-Picayune] Other reports place the breach much earlier. According to Knight-Ridder, a National Guard timeline places the breach at 3 AM, three hours before the storm made landfall. • 1:45 PM: President Bush declares Emergency Disaster for Louisiana and Mississippi. Frees up federal funds. Superdome damaged (with 10,000 people inside). Refineries damaged, and eight refineries closed. Airports close. Coast Guard rescues 1200 from flood; National Guard called in. • 2:00 PM: City officials publicly confirm breach of 17 Street Canal levee. At least eight Gulf Coast refineries shut down or reduce operations. Floods ~ 20% of the city. FEMA issues statement asking first responders to only come to the city if there was proper coordination between the state and local officials. • 2:40 PM: President discusses new Meidcare prescription drug benefits at James L. Brulte Senior Center in Rancho Cucamonga, California (see White House transcript). FEMA Head Michael Brown urges emergency service personnel "not to respond to hurricane impact areas unless dispatched by state, local authorities." The American Red Cross announces that it is "launching the largest mobilization of resources in its history" to assist Katrina victims. FEMA encourages the public to donate to this and other private organizations involved in relief work. • 3:00 PM: New Orleans Homeland Security Director Terry Ebbertt said “Everybody who had a way or wanted to get out of the way of this storm was able to." AP: "FEMA director Brown also urged local fire and rescue departments outside Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi not to send trucks or emergency workers into disaster areas without an explicit request for help from state or local governments." Brown sought the approval from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff five hours after landfall to activate 1,000 Homeland Security workers into the region. Brown acknowledges that this process will take two days. Brown's memo to Chertoff described Katrina as "this near catastrophic event" but otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, "Thank you for your consideration in helping us to meet our responsibilities." Brown defines role of requested assigned personnel and additional aid from the Department of Homeland Security: "Establish and maintain positive working relationships with disaster affected communities and the citizens of those communities. Collect and disseminate information and make referrals for appropriate assistance. Identification of potential issues within the community and reporting to appropriate personnel. Convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizations and the general public. Perform outreach with community leaders on available Federal disaster assistance." President Bush declares a major disaster for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama under the authority of the Stafford Act. • 8:00 PM: GOV. BLANCO AGAIN REQUESTS ASSISTANCE FROM BUSH: “Mr. President, we need your help. We need everything you’ve got.” [Newsweek] • LATE PM: BUSH GOES TO BED WITHOUT ACTING ON BLANCO’S REQUESTS [Newsweek] FEMA Press Releases for August 29th 2005 DRC Operations Reopen After Katrina's Landfall Release Date: August 29, 2005 Release Number: 1595-069 ORLANDO, Fla. -- The five Panhandle area Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) will reopen Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 8 a.m, to continue assisting victims of Hurricane Dennis, according to recovery officials from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and Florida State Emergency Response Team. Representatives of state, federal, and voluntary agencies, as well as loan officers from the U.S. Small Business Administration, are on hand to answer questions and provide recovery information for Hurricane Dennis victims who have already registered. Written materials about various assistance programs are also available to individuals and business owners. First Responders Urged Not To Respond To Hurricane Impact Areas Unless Dispatched By State, Local Authorities Release Date: August 29, 2005 Release Number: HQ-05-174 WASHINGTON D.C. -- Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response and head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), today urged all fire and emergency services departments not to respond to counties and states affected by Hurricane Katrina without being requested and lawfully dispatched by state and local authorities under mutual aid agreements and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Assistance Continues To Areas Impacted By Hurricane Katrina Release Date: August 29, 2005 Release Number: HQ-05-175 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response and head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, announced that federal resources and support are continuing in four states as Hurricane Katrina makes its second landfall today. President Bush declared federal emergencies in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi on Sunday. A federal disaster was declared for southern Florida counties impacted by Katrina’s first landfall on Friday. “This hurricane has caused devastation over a wide area across four states,” said Brown. “FEMA, along with our federal partners and state counterparts, is working 24 hours a day to support emergency protective response and recovery efforts in the impacted states.” As of early August 29, approximately 52,000 people were in 240 shelters in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Texas, with the majority in the New Orleans Superdome. Strategic housing planning is underway to address expected continued sheltering and eventual housing needs. In addition to holding regular briefings with emergency management officials in the affected states, FEMA reported the following activities, as of 10 a.m. today, as part of the ongoing federal response. • FEMA’s emergency teams and resources are being deployed and configured for coordinated response to Hurricane Katrina. This includes pre-staging critical commodities such as ice, water, meals, and tarps in various strategic locations to be made available to residents of affected areas. • FEMA’s Hurricane Liaison Team is onsite and working closely with the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. • FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center and Regional Response Coordination Centers in Atlanta, Ga., and Denton, Texas, are operating around the clock, coordinating the prepositioning of assets and responding to state requests for assistance. • FEMA has deployed a National Emergency Response Team to Louisiana with a coordination cell positioned at the State Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge to facilitate state requests for assistance. In addition, four Advance Emergency Response Teams have been deployed to locations in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The teams include federal liaisons who work directly within county emergency operations centers to respond to critical needs as they are identified by local officials and prioritized by the state. • Rapid Needs Assessment teams have been prestaged in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. • Nine Urban Search and Rescue task forces and incident support teams have been deployed. The task forces are from Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri. • Thirty-one teams from the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) have been deployed to staging areas in Anniston, Ala., Memphis, Tenn., Houston, Dallas, and New Orleans, including 23 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams. The teams bring truckloads of medical equipment and supplies with them and are trained to handle trauma, pediatrics, surgery and mental health problems. Two Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams are also included as part of NDMS assets deployed, which are able to support and rescue pets, and provide any needed veterinary medical care for rescue dogs. • Voluntary agencies, important partners in disasters, are prepared to augment local government services with shelters, mobile feeding units, water and clean-up supplies. • FEMA has 500 trucks of ice, 500 trucks of water and 350 trucks of meals ready to eat (MREs) available for distribution over the next 10 days. Cash Sought To Help Hurricane Victims, Volunteers Should Not Self-Dispatch Release Date: August 29, 2005 Release Number: HQ-05-177 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Voluntary organizations are seeking cash donations to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina in Gulf Coast states, according to Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. But, volunteers should not report directly to the affected areas unless directed by a voluntary agency. “Cash donations are especially helpful to victims,” Brown said. “They allow volunteer agencies to issue cash vouchers to victims so they can meet their needs. Cash donations also allow agencies to avoid the labor-intensive need to store, sort, pack and distribute donated goods. Donated money prevents, too, the prohibitive cost of air or sea transportation that donated goods require.” Volunteer agencies provide a wide variety of services after disasters, such as clean up, childcare, housing repair, crisis counseling, sheltering and food. “We’re grateful for the outpouring of support already,” Brown said. “But it’s important that volunteer response is coordinated by the professionals who can direct volunteers with the appropriate skills to the hardest-hit areas where they are needed most. Self-dispatched volunteers and especially sightseers can put themselves and others in harm’s way and hamper rescue efforts.” President Declares Major Disaster for Mississippi Release Date: August 29, 2005 Release Number: HQ-05-178 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that federal disaster aid has been made available to the state of Mississippi to help residents and communities recover from the damages and losses incurred from the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina. Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, said the assistance was authorized under a major disaster declaration issued for the state by President Bush. The declaration covers damage to private and public property from Hurricane Katrina that occurred beginning August 29, 2005 and continuing. The action follows the President's emergency declaration of August 27 that 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. William L. Carwile, III of FEMA was named by Brown to coordinate federal recovery operations. President Declares Major Disaster For Louisiana Release Date: August 29, 2005 Release Number: HQ-05-179 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that federal disaster aid has been made available to the state of Louisiana to help residents and communities recover from the damages and losses incurred from the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina. Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, said the assistance was authorized under a major disaster declaration issued for the state by President Bush. The declaration covers damage to private and public property from Hurricane Katrina that occurred beginning August 29, 2005 and continuing. Brown named William Lokey of FEMA to coordinate the federal relief effort. President Declares Major Disaster for Alabama Release Date: August 29, 2005 Release Number: HQ-05-182 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that federal disaster aid has been made available to the state of Mississippi to help residents and communities recover from the damages and losses incurred from the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina. Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, said the assistance was authorized under a major disaster declaration issued for the state by President Bush. The declaration covers damage to private and public property from Hurricane Katrina that occurred beginning August 29, 2005 and continuing. Ron Sherman of FEMA was named by Brown to coordinate federal recovery operations. References: 1. http://www.brookings.edu/fp/projects/homeland/katrinatimeline.pdf 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Hurricane_Katrina 3. http://www.fema.gov 4. http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/katrina-timeline.php 5. http://www.thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline |