U.S.

Agencies Poised For Storm Recovery

August 29, 2005 / 10:12 AM EDT / CBS/AP

As Katrina pummels the northern Gulf Coast, a massive logistics effort is launching across the United States. From phone calls recruiting volunteers to moving truckloads of supplies, federal agencies and private organizations are preparing to clean up the disaster Katrina is expected to leave in her wake.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says the government is well prepared because it has long known how vulnerable New Orleans would be in a major hurricane like Katrina.

Michael Brown, FEMA's director, says Louisiana went through a table-top drill a year ago and is doing a good job responding right now. He also tells CBS News' The Early Show that the government is preparing supplies and response teams to move wherever Gulf state inhabitants need them once the weather allows.

"The men and women here are ready to respond anywhere and everywhere," Brown told Harry Smith. "As President Bush outlined the logistics and everything we were doing, he made the note he was very impressed with what we're doing. We're ready to respond to everything the governors might need."

Brown praises emergency responders he says are "leaning out of the foxhole," putting their lives in jeopardy to help others in the storm's path.

Efforts include:

The American Red Cross is mobilizing volunteers from across the country for what one official called its largest response to a single disaster in many years. "This is really an all-hands-on-deck scenario for the Red Cross right now," spokeswoman Carrie Martin said.

As the Category 4 the storm surged ashore just east of New Orleans on Monday, FEMA had medical teams, rescue squads and groups prepared to supply food and water poised in a semicircle around the city, said Brown.

The Agriculture Department has meals and baby formula ready. The Defense Department has communications equipment and medical teams. And, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has water and ice set to deliver to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The EPA dispatched emergency crews to Louisiana and Texas, because of concern about oil and chemical spills. The agency has set up facilities for checking on the damage, but won't be able to quickly assess the region's needs until it can safely send more people into the field.

The Coast Guard closed ports and waterways along the Gulf Coast and evacuated its own personnel and equipment.

The Defense Department dispatched emergency coordinators to Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi to provide a wide range of assistance including communications equipment, search and rescue operations, medical teams and other emergency supplies.

The First U.S. Army, based at Fort Gillem near Atlanta, has 1,600 National Guard troops that were there training to go to Iraq, and they will be available to assist the states or evacuate Camp Shelby in Mississippi, if necessary.

Late Sunday, President Bush pressed for an emergency declaration in Alabama, which would allow federal operations in. Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi were already declared disaster states, CBS News correspondent Mark Knoller reports.

President Bush, urging prayer for Gulf Coast communities "hit hard" Monday by Hurricane Katrina, considered releasing oil from petroleum reserves to help refiners, administration officials said.

With an array of relief services waiting in the wings, what exactly do city officials fear?

"Flooding, of course, is our main concern," Blanco told The Early Show's Hannah Storm. "It would create an untenable situation in the city if the levees are breached."

If levees don't stand up to the Category 4 storm, up to 25 feet of water — that's taller then most of the city's homes — could cover the basin area of town. Recovery could be a long-term ordeal. Brown says restoring electricity could become a "block to block, house to house" reconstruction effort. And some people may be without power for weeks.

"We're preparing for what could potentially be a strong environmental disaster, as those floodwaters bring in all that kind of waste, we have to be prepared to deal with that, too," Brown said.

Federal, state and local agencies say recovery could be a slow process.

Former Army Corps of Engineers commander Robert Flowers says he couldn't begin to estimate the billions of dollars in damage the storm is causing.

In preparation for the storm, President Bush on Sunday urged people living in the path of Hurricane Katrina to take the storm extremely seriously and to move to safer ground. "We cannot stress enough the danger this hurricane poses to Gulf Coast communities," said the president.

"We will do everything in our power to help the people and the communities affected by this storm," President Bush said as Katrina bore down on a stretch of coastline that includes New Orleans, a city sitting below sea level with 485,000 inhabitants. "I urge all citizens to put their own safety and the safety of their families first by moving to safe ground."

Mr. Bush spoke with reporters on his central Texas ranch shortly after New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered an immediate mandatory evacuation for all of New Orleans.

"I appreciate the efforts of the governors to prepare their citizenry for this upcoming storm," Bush said. "I want to thank all the folks at the federal level and the state level who have taken this storm seriously."

Mr. Bush said he had spoken earlier Sunday with federal disaster management officials and with the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

And Brown told CBS News he doesn't question Mr. Bush's dedication to the relief effort, and he is sure FEMA will be able to finance even a major recovery.

"I don't want to say our pockets are limitless, but I know president Bush and Congress support FEMA in a very great way," Brown said. "Our number one priority is to help victims, save their lives, protect property. Whatever resources we need, there's no question in my mind the president and congress will get those to us."

For years, forecasters have warned of the nightmare scenario a big storm could bring to New Orleans, a bowl of a city that is up to 10 feet below sea level in spots and relies on a network of levees, canals and pumps to keep dry from the Mississippi River on one side, Lake Pontchartrain on the other.

The fear was that flooding could overrun the levees and turn New Orleans into a toxic lake filled with chemicals and petroleum from refineries, as well as waste from ruined septic systems.

Governor Blanco said although the city is at tremendous risk right now, she is confident New Orleans can hold up to the storm with the help of federal agencies.

"Our people are sturdy people, strong people," Blanco said. "We've dealt with storms before. We know we're going to lose some property. There will be extensive damage but we will rebuild."