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Video Footage Shows Bush, Chertoff Were Warned of Katrina's Potential Impact

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Posted by: JohnnyBz00LS

Video Footage Shows Bush, Chertoff Were Warned of Katrina's Potential Impact

link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186525,00.html

Thursday, March 02, 2006

White House Katrina Report: 'Significant Flaws' in National Response Plan

WASHINGTON — In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage.

Bush didn't ask a single question during the final briefing before Katrina struck on Aug. 29, but he assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: "We are fully prepared."

Six days of footage and transcripts obtained by The Associated Press show that federal officials anticipated the tragedy that unfolded in New Orleans and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast.

A top hurricane expert voiced "grave concerns" about the levees and then-Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown told the president and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff that he feared not enough disaster teams were available to help evacuees at the Superdome.

"I'm concerned about ... their ability to respond to a catastrophe within a catastrophe," Brown told his bosses the afternoon before Katrina made landfall.

Some of the footage and transcripts from briefings Aug. 25-31 conflicts with the defenses that federal, state and local officials have made in trying to deflect blame and minimize the political fallout from the failed Katrina response:

—Homeland Security officials have said the "fog of war" blinded them early on to the magnitude of the disaster. But the video and transcripts show federal and local officials discussed threats clearly, reviewed long-made plans and understood Katrina would wreak devastation of historic proportions. "I'm sure it will be the top 10 or 15 when all is said and done," National Hurricane Center's Max Mayfield warned the day Katrina lashed the Gulf Coast.

"I don't buy the 'fog of war' defense," Brown told the AP in an interview Wednesday. "It was a fog of bureaucracy."

—Bush declared four days after the storm, "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees" that gushed deadly flood waters into New Orleans. But the transcripts and video show there was plenty of talk about that possibility — and Bush was worried too.

White House deputy chief of staff Joe Hagin, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Brown discussed fears of a levee breach the day the storm hit.

"I talked to the president twice today, once in Crawford and then again on Air Force One," Brown said. "He's obviously watching the television a lot, and he had some questions about the Dome, he's asking questions about reports of breaches."

—Louisiana officials blamed the federal government for not being prepared but the transcripts shows they were still praising FEMA as the storm roared toward the Gulf Coast and even two days afterward. "I think a lot of the planning FEMA has done with us the past year has really paid off," Col. Jeff Smith, Louisiana's emergency preparedness deputy director, said during the Aug. 28 briefing.

The video shows just what many administration critics believed, said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.

"Despite the president's claims, the federal government was clearly not 'fully prepared' for this disaster. The administration was told what Louisiana already knew: that our federally constructed levees could certainly fail. But these concerns, and others made by disaster relief experts, fell on deaf ears," she said in a statement. "This is further evidence of the dysfunctional federal leadership that occurred before, during and after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast."

[The Department of Homeland Security, however, said none of the information is new. A senior Homeland Security official described the video clips as additional visuals to documentation that has already been released.The official told FOX News that DHS has provided more than 300,000 documents to Senate investigators and is working on its "lessons learned" review to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.]

According to video and transcripts, it wasn't long before Smith and other state officials sounded overwhelmed.

"We appreciate everything that you all are doing for us, and all I would ask is that you realize that what's going on and the sense of urgency needs to be ratcheted up," Smith said Aug. 30.

Mississippi officials also begged for more attention in that same briefing.

"We know that there are tens or hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana that need to be rescued, but we would just ask you, we desperately need to get our share of assets because we'll have people dying — not because of water coming up, but because we can't get them medical treatment in our affected counties," said a Mississippi state official whose name was not mentioned on the tape.

Video footage of the Aug. 28 briefing, the final one before Katrina struck, showed an intense Brown voicing concerns from the government's disaster operation center and imploring colleagues to do whatever was necessary to help victims.

"We're going to need everything that we can possibly muster, not only in this state and in the region, but the nation, to respond to this event," Brown warned. He called the storm "a bad one, a big one" and implored federal agencies to cut through red tape to help people, bending rules if necessary.

"Go ahead and do it," Brown said. "I'll figure out some way to justify it. ... Just let them yell at me."

Bush appeared from a narrow, windowless room at his vacation ranch in Texas, with his elbows on a table. Hagin was sitting alongside him. Neither asked questions in the Aug. 28 briefing.

"I want to assure the folks at the state level that we are fully prepared to not only help you during the storm, but we will move in whatever resources and assets we have at our disposal after the storm," the president said.

A relaxed Chertoff, sporting a polo shirt, weighed in from Washington at Homeland Security's operations center. He would later fly to Atlanta, outside of Katrina's reach, for a bird flu event.

One snippet captures a missed opportunity on Aug. 28 for the government to have dispatched active-duty military troops to the region to augment the National Guard.

Chertoff: "Are there any DOD assets that might be available? Have we reached out to them?"

Brown: "We have DOD assets over here at EOC (emergency operations center). They are fully engaged. And we are having those discussions with them now."

Chertoff: "Good job."

In fact, active duty troops weren't dispatched until days after the storm. And many states' National Guards had yet to be deployed to the region despite offers of assistance, and it took days before the Pentagon deployed active-duty personnel to help overwhelmed Guardsmen.

The National Hurricane Center's Mayfield told the final briefing before Katrina struck that storm models predicted minimal flooding inside New Orleans during the hurricane but he expressed concerns that counterclockwise winds and storm surges afterward could cause the levees at Lake Pontchartrain to be overrun.

"I don't think any model can tell you with any confidence right now whether the levees will be topped or not but that is obviously a very, very grave concern," Mayfield told the briefing.

Other officials expressed concerns about the large number of New Orleans residents who had not evacuated.

"They're not taking patients out of hospitals, taking prisoners out of prisons and they're leaving hotels open in downtown New Orleans. So I'm very concerned about that," Brown said.

Despite the concerns, it ultimately took days for search and rescue teams to reach some hospitals and nursing homes.

Brown also told colleagues one of his top concerns was whether evacuees who went to the New Orleans Superdome — which became a symbol of the failed Katrina response — would be safe and have adequate medical care.

"The Superdome is about 12 feet below sea level.... I don't know whether the roof is designed to stand, withstand a Category Five hurricane," he said.

Brown also wanted to know whether there were enough federal medical teams in place to treat evacuees and the dead in the Superdome.

"Not to be (missing) kind of gross here," Brown interjected, "but I'm concerned" about the medical and mortuary resources "and their ability to respond to a catastrophe within a catastrophe."

Tsk, tsk, just have to chalk this one up as another one of those BuSh lies.

Posted by: mespock

That was the liberal media once again with lies about what really happened.

This never happened! All lies!! Get your facts straight!! Use more reliable sources.

Posted by: barry2952

Bryan says BuSh never lies. Weasle your way out of this one bootlicker.

Posted by: mespock

I just answered for him! What more can one say!

Posted by: MonsterMark

Kiss my ass Barry. You chased every conservative off this forum with your mean-spiritedness. Do some soul searching. I lent you alot of rope. I had hoped you wouldn't have hanged yourself with it.

The real story behind the story is that Mayor "school-bus" Nagin blamed the entire event on Max Mayfield, the director of the National Weather Service, for not personally calling him. What a joke and typical of democratic 'never assume responsiblility for anything' behavior.

Then go look for the footage of all the school buses sitting there days and hours before the storm.

Mr. Chocolate himself f'd up the whole deal. But that is to be expected from lefties. The only thing that would had made you haters happy I guess is if Bush would have failed trying to drive one of the buses himself to safety with a full load of chocolatiers.

Posted by: barry2952

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsterMark

Kiss my ass Barry. You chased every conservative off this forum with your mean-spiritedness.

I didn't know I had such power. Good riddance.

Posted by: mespock

The is Blame goes to all involved! From the top down to from the Bottom up!

From years ago to the Present. Nobody prepared for this disaster. It was a disaster in the making. It was ill prepared when the inevitable was known. The problem is nobody wants to take the blame.

From Bushes pompous attitude and failure to come to the rescue sooner to the Mayor and Governor failing to act sooner.

All involved should have to deal with their Incompetency.

Posted by: MonsterMark

Quote:

Originally Posted by barry2952

I didn't know I had such power. Good riddance.

Gee, the LCOC doesn't have a political forum anymore. I don't recall myself ever posting over there. But it doesn't take a genius to put the dots together connecting here and there, does it?

Posted by: Calabrio

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...03-02-21-00-56

New Video Shows Blanco Saying Levees Safe

BY LARA JAKES JORDAN and MARGARET EBRAHIM
Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the hectic, confused hours after Hurricane Katrina lashed the Gulf Coast, Louisiana's governor hesitantly but mistakenly assured the Bush administration that New Orleans' protective levees were intact, according to a new video obtained by The Associated Press showing briefings that day with federal officials.

"We keep getting reports in some places that maybe water is coming over the levees," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said shortly after noon on Aug. 29, according to the video that was obtained Thursday night. "We heard a report unconfirmed, I think, we have not breached the levee. I think we have not breached the levee at this time."

In fact, the National Weather Service received a report of a levee breach and issued a flash-flood warning as early as 9:12 a.m. that day, according to the White House's formal recounting of events the day Katrina struck.

The timing of the levees breach has been a key issue in exhaustive reviews of failures to respond to Katrina and highlights miscommunication about the scope of the storm's damage at all levels of government.

Advertisement

The new video, which runs 45 minutes, details uncertainty and despair among state and local emergency response officials as they began chronicling the disaster that swept across 90 square miles in the Gulf Coast.

Blanco is not shown in the video but is heard as a disembodied voice speaking from an emergency operations center in Baton Rouge, La., to 11 people sitting around a table at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington. She sounds uncertain about the reliability of her information and cautioned that the situation "could change."

She reported that floodwaters were rising in parts of the city "where we have waters that are 8 to 10 feet deep, and we have people swimming in there."

"That's got a considerable amount of water itself," the governor said. "That's about all I know right now on the specifics that you haven't heard."

Blanco spokeswoman Denise Bottcher said Thursday that "our people on the ground were telling us that there could be over-topping and breaching, but it was hard to tell" by the noon briefing.

Another official who was heard but not seen on the video was then-FEMA Director Michael Brown, who was also at the federal emergency operations center in Baton Rouge. He implored officials to "push the envelope as far as you can," noting that he had already spoken to President Bush twice that day and described the president as "very, very interested in this situation."

"He's very engaged, and he's asking a lot of really good questions I would expect him to ask," Brown said of Bush. "I say that only because I want everyone to recognize ... how serious the situation remains."

Brown has criticized the White House for miscommunication that led to some delays but said in an interview Thursday that he never directly blamed Bush.

"I think the president was confident in the ability of FEMA to respond to this, and what I should have done was go to them earlier and say, 'Let's not wait to see how it unfolds. Let's bring everything and go overboard.'"

He also said there was confusion among officials over whether levees were breached at the time of the noon video conference call. But he said he was convinced of the breach by 1 p.m.

Delays in confirming the levee breaches held up repair efforts and allowed flooding to worsen. The White House was alerted about breach reports by 6 p.m., but the administration confirmed the damage the next morning.

The video shows weather forecasters predicting the storm's path and also briefly cuts to White House deputy chief of staff Joe Hagin asking Blanco about the status of the levees and the situation at the Superdome in New Orleans.

By that time, an estimated 15,000 evacuees had gathered at the stadium, where food and water was beginning to run out, said Col. Jeff Smith, Louisiana's emergency preparedness deputy director. Smith also reported up to 10 feet of flooding in neighboring St. Bernard Parish and that there were 45 patients on life-support at one area hospital that lost its power.

Still, "the coordination and support we are getting from FEMA has just been outstanding," Smith said.

Mississippi officials were less complimentary, reporting significant damage to hospitals, flooded and collapsed emergency operations centers and people trapped on the roofs or in the attacks who were begging for help.

"It certainly looks like it is a catastrophic event that we all expected," said one Mississippi official, who was not identified. "I could tell you that the preliminary reports coming off of our Gulf Coast are not good, not good at all.

The Homeland Security Department played down the new video. Spokesman Russ Knocke said it "reveals nothing new because the transcript had previously been released."

The new video came to light a day after the AP obtained footage of an Aug. 28 briefing - the day before Katrina hit - that showed officials warning the storm might breach levees, put lives at risk in the Superdome and overwhelm rescuers. Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff were among those on the videotaped call.

Lawmakers from both parties said the pre-Katrina briefing for Bush and top administration officials raised new questions about government response to the storm that flooded New Orleans and killed more than 1,300 people.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said the Aug. 28 video "makes it perfectly clear once again that this disaster was not out of the blue or unforeseeable. It was not only predictable, it was actually predicted. That's what made the failures in response - at the local, state and federal level - all the more outrageous."

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said it "confirms what we have suspected all along," charging that Bush administration officials have "systematically misled the American people."

Reid and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California renewed their calls for an independent commission to investigate the federal response to the hurricane.

The House and Senate have conducted separate investigations of the federal response, and the White House did its own investigation. House Democrats for the most part refused to participate in the House probe, insisting since last fall that an independent commission should be created to handle the probe.

The White House did not immediately respond Thursday to the renewed Democratic calls for an independent investigation.

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

Posted by: JohnnyBz00LS

Uh, WHAT is this?

The link to the article shows the original title to be:

"Blanco Wrong on Levees, Video Indicates"

Yet the title at the top of your post is:

"New Video Shows Blanco Saying Levees Safe"

What gives?

The fact appears to be that Gov Blanco was indeed "wrong", by mistakenly saying that the levees were "still intact" at the time she said it while in reality they had already been "topped" or "breached" (whatever, the resulting flooding is the same). This is probably due to her operating on hours-old data. Yet your spin on the title implies she was stating that they were "safe", i.e.: not only intact, but remaining strong against the rising waters with no indications of weakening or being topped. The FACT remains she said no such thing.

Do you have an explanation for your slight of hand? Or should I be throwing the

Posted by: Calabrio

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyBz00LS

Do you have an explanation for your slight of hand? Or should I be throwing the

Did I change any of the facts in the article?
And is my title accurate? She did say that the levees were holding.

If so, I can recommend a few place to stick your "flag" because I don't detect anything wrong. But I know you'll keep trying to find some nuanced point to avoid having to deal with the substance of the situation.

Now, rather than deflecting, how about addressing the fact the GOVERNOR of the state was reporting to the feds that the levees were sound. Job well done, Gov. Blanco. Way to stay ontop of the issue.

I guess her cluelessness is Bush's fault too. Maybe her inability to handle stress and complicated situations are the result of something the Department of Homeland Security did.

Posted by: MonsterMark

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyBz00LS

The fact appears to be that Gov Blanco was indeed "wrong", by mistakenly saying that the levees were "still intact" at the time she said it while in reality they had already been "topped" or "breached" (whatever, the resulting flooding is the same).

Johnny. Question. Do you work for the DNC? If not, you should apply. To attempt to confuse the terms "topped" and "breached" is right from the lib playbook right now. The terms are not the same, and the results are not the same. To "TOP" means that water comes over the top of the barrier, usually in small increments measured in inches with a huge difference in overall volume of water as measured in cu/ft/sec or cu/ft/min. To breach indicates a failure in the barrier, which leads to humongous increases in potential water volume, ie: flood. A "TOPPED" levee scenario would have been manageable and not long term: ie as long as the winds were blowing. A "BREACH" however can pour volumes of water, hour after hour, day after day, until the water level reaches the low point of the breach.

For you to attempt to confuse the two terms and equate them as one in the same is a comical attempt by the Left to once again shun their responsibilities.

Face it. She told Bush the levees had held, as was expected. The counter-rotating swell in the Lake did indeed breach the levees, causing the inevitable results.

Nice try and good entertainment. Keep up the good work.

Posted by: JohnnyBz00LS

OK, I'll give you that, my bad on the "topped" vs "breached" argument.

BUT, it does not change my point, that being Calabrio's spin on the title is a lame attempt to indict Blanco over a statement that she did not make. There is a huge gap between the meaning of saying "the levees are safe" and saying "We heard a report unconfirmed, I think, we have not breached the levee. I think we have not breached the levee at this time.". She even used a disclaimer of the report being "unconfirmed", therefore she was not 100% sure of the status of the levees. Additionally she cautioned that the situation "could change." So typical this is of finding a nit, ANY miniscule nit by the right to hang a Dem and give GW's administration an excuse for sitting down on the job.

Could the gov. of LA and the mayor of LA done a better job of preparation for Katrina?? Hell YES they could've, but that does NOT excuse FEMA's blatent failures on their behalf, 99% of which are the direct result sucking FEMA under DHS, which was instigated by BuSh and his staff.

Posted by: Calabrio

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyBz00LS

OK, I'll give you that, my bad on the "topped" vs "breached" argument.

BUT, it does not change my point, that being Calabrio's spin on the title is a lame attempt to indict Blanco over a statement that she did not make.

It's interesting. You failed to address the broader point in an attempt to make me the issue. And while you may not like the lead line, the entire story was there to read.

But, accidently, we've just made a bigger point. Did you notice how outraged you suddenly became since you don't like the headline I included?

This is what the media does EVERY SINGLE DAY when covering the news. Perhaps you don't notice it because the headlines you see reinforce your confused world view. The reality is to the contrary. This entire story is an example of this. Headlines dominated the coverage, and the headlines haven't been an accurate reflection of the story.

Also interesting, you go on to defend the inept Governor of La. yet try to blame the administration. I can say with confidence you haven't read the impartial account written by the people at Popular Mechanics yet.

Quote:

Could the gov. of LA and the mayor of LA done a better job of preparation for Katrina?? Hell YES they could've,

Let's not get too far past this point. Because had the state responded with a degree of competance, it wouldn't have been necessary for the federal government to cover the slack. See, the problem isn't that the Fed's didn't respond, it's that they didn't perform at the previously unimaginable level that was necessary to compensate for the lack of response on the state level.

Quote:

but that does NOT excuse FEMA's blatent failures on their behalf, 99% of which are the direct result sucking FEMA under DHS, which was instigated by Bush and his staff.

You can debate this issue seperate. Whether DHS should manage FEMA is an issue that you can honestly debate. It's not an issue of ignorance, incompetance, and it's also not a partisan issue. It's an administrative and bureacratic one. If you poison an administrative and proceedural issue like this one with partisanship, you'll never be able to confidently arrive at the best conclusion. Liberals keep poisoning these waters in their day to day slash and burn assault on the President, they are hurting the country.

Posted by: JohnnyBz00LS

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calabrio

This is what the media does EVERY SINGLE DAY when covering the news.

So THIS is your explanation for spinning the title of the article? Two wrongs now make a right? Given your outspoken distaste for distortion in the MSM, why should I not be suprised and taken aback when you yourself participate in the same type of distortion tactics?

Posted by: MonsterMark

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyBz00LS

So THIS is your explanation for spinning the title of the article? Two wrongs now make a right?

Sorry to butt in here.

Haha. Chuckle, chuckle. How is it spinning? She did say they were intact, did she not? Sure, she qualified the statement, but your argument is that Bush didn't do anything based on her info. Come on. Are you kidding?

Johnny, I must say. I have really noticed you moving to the right recently. I think it is time for you to join us. Help us defeat the evil that is the liberal mindset. You will be welcomed with open arms. Join us.

Posted by: TheDude

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsterMark

Be strong Johnny, the darkside is very luring, hold fast!

Posted by: MonsterMark

Quote:

Originally Posted by 95DevilleNS

Be strong Johnny, the darkside is very luring, hold fast!

Deville...you are getting sleepy, sleepy.

Posted by: JohnnyBz00LS

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsterMark

Sorry to butt in here.

Haha. Chuckle, chuckle. How is it spinning? She did say they were intact, did she not? Sure, she qualified the statement, but your argument is that Bush didn't do anything based on her info. Come on. Are you kidding?

Yes, she DID say that they still intact, but she did NOT say that they were "safe".

Quote:

Definition of SAFE:
1. [a] free from risk or danger; "a safe trip"; "you will be safe here"; "a safe place"; "a safe bet".

My argument was, for BuSh to sit there on TV days later and state that "nobody anticipated the levees to breech" is a flat out lie. Then, when Calabrio stepped in and attempted to deflect blame to Blanco (which I have no argument that she is deserving of some blame) by DISTORTION of the title of a published article, literally putting words in her mouth, coming from someone who has been outspoken about his distaste for the MSM media when they distort facts, it is imposible to not consider it hypocritical.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsterMark

Johnny, I must say. I have really noticed you moving to the right recently. I think it is time for you to join us. Help us defeat the evil that is the liberal mindset. You will be welcomed with open arms. Join us.

You see, it is speech like that that will keep me from even considering adopting a title from either side, let alone the conservative side. The fact is, I think with my own mind, I choose to be independant of thought and political affiliation. Just chalk up your observations as proof of the aforementioned free-thinker within me.