What Went Wrong in New Orleans

3. Read "What went wrong in New Orleans." This is a series of interviews with federal, state, and local officials. It is a brief example of the "blame game" surrounding government response to Katrina. You will need to read only the excerpts from the following officials: Michael Brown, FEMA director at the time; Kathleen Blanco, governor of Louisiana; Ray Nagin, mayor of New Orleans; and Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency manager. Each of these officials was responsible for disaster preparedness and response at the time Katrina hit.

PBS Frontline: The Storm: "What Went Wrong."

Part Two: Surviving a Disaster

Natural disaster could strike in any community in a number of ways, including fire, flood, tornadoes, hurricanes, or earthquakes. A terrorist attack or hazardous spill could also trigger the activation of your community's disaster preparedness plan. There are many organizations at the federal level with disaster responsibilities, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Transportation, the Army Corps of Engineers, and many others. States also have offices of emergency services. Local government agencies have police and fire departments that take care of disaster responsibilities. All communities plan for disasters. How should you prepare for a disaster?

1.

Research what to do in case of a disaster by visiting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website. Select a disaster that may occur in your community and learn what you can do to prepare before, during, and after a disaster. Answer the questions in the work file.

2.

Choose one of the interview options below:

Option 1: Call your local police or fire department and interview one person on the disaster preparedness plan for your community. Be sure to get their full name, job title and a phone number where they can be reached, as you will need to include this in your interview write up. Before conducting your interview, please view the slide presentation of Guide to Conducting an Interview for helpful tips and guidelines. Consider the following questions for your interview:

* What natural disasters are most likely to occur in your community?

* What is the specific role of your agency in a disaster?

* What is your personal responsibility in the event of a natural disaster?

* What are the current emergency plans for the community?

* Was the plan updated since Hurricane Katrina? And if so, how? If not, do you