The Lessons Katrina Taught Louisiana

CBS Evening News: Gustav Was No Katrina, But It Showed Valuable Lessons Were Learned

(CBS)  Katrina slammed into New Orleans as a Category 4 hurricane, with all the makings of a disaster, hitting a city built below sea level and ringed with an aging levee system designed to keep it dry, CBS News anchor Katie Couric reports.

"People didn't really think Katrina would hit," said historian Doug Brinkley. "Everybody watched the blob on their TV screens and many residents, included myself, said you know what? I'll wait it out."

It turned out to be a huge mistake. In the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish, levees lining the area couldn't withstand the storm surge from Lake Ponchartrain. Along the Industrial Canal, concrete walls were breeched by water surging over the top and undermining shaky construction underneath. Pumping stations designed to serve as backup failed.

The New Orleans Superdome, where many fled on their own, became both haven and hell. The weakest of the weak perished, and the government couldn't help. Now it appears, Gustav will not be history repeated.

Last time, the National Guard lost many of its choppers and water vehicles to the same flooding. This time, the staging areas are outside of New Orleans.

And unlike the post-Katrina days there's been very little looting. Law enforcement on the streets of New Orleans has almost doubled.

And the infamous levee system along Lake Pontchartrain, where the three most serious breaches occurred, have undergone some repairs. The holes have been fixed and strengthened, the walls have been built up an additional three feet, and new pumps have been installed for better drainage.

A lot has gone right but there are things you simply can't predict. Two naval ships scheduled to be scrapped and a barge came untethered in the canal and there is real fear one could knock a whole in this levee. As you can see, water is already spilling over the top. That's why experts caution it's too early to say New Orleans has dodged a bullet.

There are still miles of levees along the coast that are so poorly built and stressed - Brinkley calls them "lego levees" - and protective wetlands still need to be restored.

"But to pretend that New Orleans is fortified is untrue. If this was a Category 5, it will not survive," Brinkley said. "New Orleans is still a very dangerous place to be during a hurricane."

That's a theory that wasn't truly tested by Gustav, but could be … next time.

[jlpruitt-2009]

I loved the fact that one reporter stated there were 9 known deaths....and those deaths would have been fewer if people had listened to the EVACUATE WARNING. There would have been fewer deaths during Katrina if people would have listened to that VERY SAME WARING!!! Guess people aren''t so stubborn now. It''s not fair to blame the government for your own stupidity. How much of a warning do you need?? I mean, they had a least three.....three days!!! "I''ll wait it out". People chose to gamble with their lives and the lives of their family members and unfortunately...they lost. I don''t care how bad or heartless this makes me sound....I have no sympathy for people who had the warning, had the time, and DIDN''T LISTEN. You hear the evacuate warning, pack your s***, and you drive, walk, whatever you have to do to ensure your safety. Don''t just sit there.

[ericmichael1]

Katie,

Gustav was just a dress rehearsal for the next one, the big one.

We in government should have learned from 9-11 that we must be able to work together, no matter what tier: local, state or federal. We should know each other by our first names. We should be able to speak together on the same communications system. We should put aside all rivalries for the public good.

We should have learned also that politicians need to stay in the background during emergencies. Let the professionals in emergency response do their jobs, and give necessary support from the rear.

Our first great test, Katrina, taught us that we had not learned these vital lessons. We were years away from real fusion in emergency response.

The second great test, the California wildfires, showed that progress has been made in the West.

The third great test, Gustav, has shown us that the south central area has learned from some of its mistakes.

But are we as a nation yet ready for a category 5? Or a true Weapon of Mass Destruction incident? Only if we continue to improve.

Politics must take a backseat to cooperation in this 21st century. Nationally and globally.

Nice job with your coverage, Katie. Keep up the good work.

Eric

[vechible]

'' .. little girls are odd creatures, the moon can fall from the sky: and they do not even blink .. but lay one upon a stack of 20 cushions and it knows if there''s some poor microbe or molecule underneathe the stack suffering even some miniscule amound of pressure and she is there by it''s side to aide .. ''