Post
Katrina New Orleans:
DHS/FEMA 2009 Commitments to Recovery
Mark
Fleming
DHS and FEMA have
firmly committed to improving the post
Katrina recovery efforts in New Orleans. In a visit to New Orleans
on March 4, 2009,
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano stated, “Our
commitment to the Gulf Coast remains unwavering and our determination to
bring to
completion many of the projects is still underway. My goal is to
eliminate the
red tape, help rebuild now and rebuild the region stronger than ever[1].”
To support her
goal of reducing bureaucracy, Secretary
Napolitano announced the establishment of the Unified Public Assistance
Project
Decision Team in the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office. The new Decision Team is designed to help
FEMA and the State of Louisiana
work together to identify and resolve disputes and speed recovery in
the Gulf Coast.[2]
To
date, FEMA has obligated approximately $7.4 billion in Public
Assistance funding
to Louisiana and the
state has only
distributed about $4 billion of that amount.[3]
In 2009, it is estimated that New
Orleans alone will receive around $700 million
in
Public Assistance to rebuild jails, police
and fire
stations, playgrounds, theaters and mixed-income housing developments.[4]
Senior leadership in New Orleans has also contributed to the new administration’s
increased commitment to rebuilding the city. In an interview with the
Washington Times, Mayor Nagin stated, “The Obama administration can
have the
legacy of ‘we came in and did what Bush couldn’t do, and oh by the way,
America – we righted the incredible wrong and we restored
this
great American city.’ President Bush ‘misunderstood’ the situation on
the Gulf Coast and his team didn’t make it a priority.”[5]
This increased
commitment to rebuild New Orleans
has also brought increased skepticism. Should
the government be moving so quickly to rebuild the city? Does it make
sense to
rebuild poverty-stricken communities in flood prone areas? Should the federal government
be so involved in
post-Katrina recovery efforts?
In 1993, after the
Mississippi,
Missouri, and Illinois
River floods devastated the Midwest,
Congress passed the Hazard Mitigation and Relocation Assistance Act of
1993
authorizing FEMA to purchase or relocate flooded properties in
high-risk flood
hazard areas.[6]
Providing funding to relocate New Orleans
residents away from flood prone areas could potentially reduce the
amount of
federal assistance for future disasters, and most importantly, invest
in the
safety of the people living in the affected areas.
Relocating
poverty-stricken communities from flood-prone
areas could also allow New Orleans
to
be rebuilt around its most sustainable and economically viable industry
of
tourism. Focusing recovery efforts in areas that are less susceptible
to flooding
and more likely to prosper after the recovery efforts have subsided
could
provide the best venture for New Orleans,
its citizens, and the federal government.
DHS and FEMA
should reevaluate their commitment to quickly
rebuild New Orleans to a
pre Katrina
condition. The next major Hurricane in the region could cause even more
damage
to the city, jeopardize the lives of its citizens, and ultimately
result in the
continued loss of confidence in the federal government.
[1]
FEMA
Website. “Secretaries Donovan and Napolitano
Tour Gulf
Coast
and Announce Funding for Louisiana.”
March 10, 2009.
Accessed on
03/20/09 at
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/2005katrina/sec_tour.shtm
[2]
DHS
Website. “Secretary Napolitano Announces New Louisiana
'Decision Team and Appoints Recovery Personnel.” March 11, 2009. Accessed on 03/20/09 at
http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1236808498211.shtm
[3]
FEMA
Website. “FEMA Reinforces Commitment to Louisiana's
Recovery.” January 13, 2009.
Accessed on 03/20/09
at http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=47288
[4]
USA
Today. “$700M in federal aid finally flowing to N.O.” March 17, 2009.
Accessed on 03/20/09
at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-17-naginrebuild_N.htm
[5] Bellantoni, C. The Washing Times: “Nagin
foresees win
for Obama in South; Rebuild what Bush couldn’t.” March
12, 2009.
[6]
The
American Presidency. “Statement on Signing the Hazard Mitigation and
Relocation
Assistance Act of 1993.” Accessed on 03/20/09 at
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=46196