Feds: US Still Not Ready For Disasters

DHS Says All 50 States, 75 Major Cities Show Continuing Weaknesses

(CBS/AP) 
New York and Washington, al Qaeda's targets on Sept. 11, 2001, received lukewarm ratings on the scorecard. Seventy-one percent of New York's emergency plans were described as "partially sufficient" in responding to catastrophes. In Washington, by comparison, 69 percent of the capital area's plans fell below the full minimum standards, and 2 percent were deemed insufficient.

Despite sending $18 billion in Homeland Security grants to spur local preparedness since Sept. 11, efforts, "very little of it has gone to planning, training and exercise," said Foresman.

The report found that the 18 hurricane-prone states, from Maine to Texas, appeared to be better prepared for disasters than the rest of the country.

"I think those big cities and states that have experienced a major evacuation over the course of the past 15 years are better prepared to deal with it than those that have not," Foresman said.

Those states hugging the Atlantic and Gulf coasts were judged by peers to have emergency plans "that were more likely to be rated sufficient ... than other states," the review noted. Plans by Hurricane Belt states to manage resources, health and medical issues and communications were "noticeably stronger" in comparison, it found.

Similarly, cities in these states also were rated more likely to be prepared to issue warnings, manage resources, distribute emergency public information and provide mass care.

But there was a major exception: The cities were judged as comparatively not sufficient in planning for evacuations.

The review is the latest in a series of government and expert analyses since Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29. Nearly all have found lacking preparedness levels for large-scale disasters. The Sept. 11 commission and other panels also have found shortcomings in preparedness for another terrorist attack.

Since Sept. 11, states have gotten $18 billion to improve readiness, reports Orr, but it will be years before all are fully prepared. The problem, of course, is the next "big one" may not wait that long.