This is the text of Governor Blanco's response to the U.S. House and
Senate committee that are investigating the state's response to Katrina.
It's the most expansive official account of what the state of Louisiana
did in response to the storm:
 
 
Dec 02, 2005

Governor's Response to Congress



LOUISIANA OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

RESPONSE TO U. S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND
GOVERNNMENTAL AFFAIRS DOCUMENT AND INFORMATION REQUEST DATED OCTOBER 7,
2005 AND TO THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SELECT COMMITTEE TO
INVESTIGATE THE PREPARATION FOR AND RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATRINA

SUBMITTED DECEMBER 2, 2005:

OVERVIEW OF GOVERNOR KATHLEEN BABINEAUX BLANCO'S ACTIONS IN PREPARATION
FOR AND RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATRINA


As a supplement to the tens of thousands of pages of documents provided
by the Governor's office and the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security
and Emergency Preparedness, the following overview details key actions
taken by Governor Blanco in the days immediately proceeding and
following Hurricane Katrina.  This overview is in no way intended as a
complete documentation of all actions, but is intended to be responsive
to questions 8 and 10 specifically, and to capture the key events as
they developed to the best of our knowledge.


A Brewing Storm

Hurricane Katrina first receives Governor Blanco's attention when it
appears as a newly formed tropical depression, days before August 26th
and prior to the storm receiving an official name.  For the past decade,
Terry Ryder, Executive Counsel to the Governor, has been entrusted with
the responsibility for keeping his eye on the tropics, advising Governor
Blanco and her predecessor of potential hurricanes.  Governor Blanco
instructs Ryder to alert her the moment he learns of a tropical
depression.  Once a tropical depression develops into a tropical storm,
it receives an official name from the National Hurricane Center (NHC)
and Ryder begins providing regular updates while tracking the storm on
software provided by the Center.  He also serves as the point person who
communicates with the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness to obtain needed information and to orchestrate
the operational process.   

As Ryder and the Governor begin discussing Katrina, all indications
suggest that Louisiana will fall well outside of Katrina's cone.  Since
models initially project Katrina will target the Florida panhandle,
Governor Blanco tentatively continues her longstanding plans to 
attend the Southern Governor's Association Conference in Atlanta, where
she is to be installed as Chair.   Her Executive Assistant, Paine Gowen,
and her Legislative Director, Rochelle Michaud Dugas, travel ahead to
Atlanta preparing for the Governor's participation.  Up until the 
storm shifts and Louisiana moves into the cone late on Friday, based on
NHC tracking charts and staff discussions, Hurricane Katrina appears no
more threatening than many of the storms that the Governor and Ryder
track during hurricane season.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2005

A Sudden Shift

 Early predictions deteriorate on Friday as NHC steering factors evolve,
and the Governor sounds the alert.  Periodic updates have been filtering
in all day long.  By mid-afternoon, the National Weather Service reports
that Katrina has shifted westward, with landfall now projected to fall
near Mobile along the Alabama/Mississippi line instead of the
anticipated Florida panhandle.  Upon learning of the storm's dramatic
and unprecedented shift, Governor Blanco signs and immediately issues
Proclamation No. 48 KBB 2005, Declaring a State of Emergency, and places
the Louisiana National Guard and all State agencies on full alert.  She
warns that "Hurricane Katrina poses an imminent threat to the state of
Louisiana, carrying severe storms, high winds, and torrential rain that
may cause flooding and damage to private property and public facilities,
and threaten the safety and security of the citizens of Louisiana."

As Louisiana falls within the hurricane's cone, Governor Blanco cancels
her trip to Georgia for the Southern Governor's Association Conference,
and begins working with emergency preparedness officials to address the
rapidly changing situation.  The situation grows dire at around 10PM
that evening as the storm again shifts westward, for the first time
bearing down on Louisiana. 
 
The Governor immediately begins arrangements for a massive evacuation,
conferring with her staff to strategize implementation of her recently
restructured contra-flow evacuation plan for coastal Southeast Louisiana
and the New Orleans region.  She participates in an evening conference
call with the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness (LOHSEP) regarding Hurricane Katrina, and is assured that
all parishes and State agencies are on high alert and ready to activate
the agreed-upon evacuation plans. 

 Friday evening, Governor Blanco focuses on the evacuation and
contra-flow plan, knowing firsthand the urgency of moving people to
safety.  She confers with State Police Superintendent Colonel Henry
Whitehorn regarding her intent to activate the contra-flow plan to
facilitate the evacuation, and receives his assurance that the Louisiana
State Police and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and
Development will begin staging the equipment and manpower needed to move
the masses.  The Governor places a similar late-night call to
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour to alert him, per their prior
agreement, that she is urging an evacuation of the New Orleans
metropolitan area and requests that he be prepared to activate
contra-flow of I-59 through Mississippi on Saturday. 

Early Evacuation Planning Saves Lives

 The successfully retooled evacuation plan was well executed, and can be
lauded for avoiding additional loss of life during Hurricane Katrina.
Governor Blanco's evacuation plan using contra-flow rapidly moves an
unprecedented 1 million plus people out of harm's way relying on a
system of phased evacuations.  Governor Blanco had ordered the
evacuation plan overhauled as a result of the lessons learned earlier in
her term from Hurricane Ivan, when it became apparent to her that the
evacuation of a large metro area with low-lying parishes under the
State's existing plan could be more efficient.  Because of frustrations
caused by evacuations during previous storm threats, Governor Blanco
recognizes that evacuations must flow smoothly.  Otherwise, the risk is
great that people will become so discouraged by gridlock that they opt
to weather the storm at home. 

Katrina confirms the value of this early planning, and demonstrates the
importance of a well-planned evacuation to save lives.  Evacuations also
depend on the cooperation of the general public and local government
agencies.  The State's new evacuation plan has been designed in
cooperation with local parish leaders who signed agreements and are
asked to follow the plan.  There are invariably those who will not or
perhaps cannot leave an area, which is why Mayor Nagin set up the
Superdome as the shelter of last resort.  It is therefore recognized
that some will always be in need of rescue.  The goal is to minimize the
numbers. Hurricane Katrina resulted in a devastating loss of life and
property for Louisiana, but the tragedy would have been far worse if the
initial evacuation had not been so efficient and safe.   

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2005

Leave While You Can

With the National Weather Service now predicting that Hurricane Katrina
could slam into Southeast Louisiana, Governor Blanco begins the day
early on Saturday at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Baton
Rouge at LOHSEP to participate in the morning conference call led by
Colonel Jeff Smith.  She prioritizes this call because she wants to hear
again that with evacuations set to begin at 9AM that morning, all parish
presidents remain committed to following the phased plan as discussed
and agreed upon the previous evening.  Throughout the morning, the
Governor personally calls parish presidents to verify their plans and to
encourage evacuation efforts in compliance with the State's plan. 

>From Saturday, August 27, through Katrina and until the aftermath of
Hurricane Rita, Governor Blanco sets up her primary headquarters in the
Emergency Operations Center as it allows her to personally oversee the
rapidly developing situation that often requires spur of the moment
decisions.  Working side by side with the National Guard, the State
Police and other State agencies is essential, especially considering the
local communications degradation that would occur later.    

The Governor follows Friday's State of Emergency declaration with the
first of many Hurricane Katrina-related letters issued to President Bush
and other federal officials, urging him to declare a federal State of
Emergency for the State of Louisiana under the Stafford Act, which he
does.  She expects early on that Katrina could be a catastrophic event
that would overwhelm State resources, and wants to ensure that Louisiana
would receive every form of assistance the federal government could
provide.
  
Governor Blanco engages in a considerable number of public appearances
over the weekend, urging citizens to take this storm seriously and
evacuate Southeast Louisiana and the New Orleans metropolitan area.  As
someone who has grown up with hurricanes, she worries that many people
would play a familiar game of "hurricane roulette" - tempting fate and
staying home in a gamble that this storm would be no worse than the last
one that they weathered in their home.  Believing this could be the "big
one" talked about for years, she was adamant in urging people to avoid
complacency and to leave, as evident in the news footage from Saturday
and Sunday.

At around 1:00PM on Saturday afternoon, Governor Blanco stands first
with Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard and parish officials,
and then with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and city officials for press
conferences emphasizing the importance of an immediate evacuation.  In a
state where hurricanes are a way of life, it is almost unprecedented for
a Governor to participate with local officials in news conferences
urging evacuations.  Governor Blanco encourages local citizens to go
door to door and plead with their neighbors to leave their homes and
evacuate the region.      

 With the evacuations well underway as scheduled and traffic growing
heavy, contra-flow officially begins at 4PM on Saturday.  Both lanes of
interstate highways will be utilized for travel in the same direction
going away from the urban center.  Louisiana National Guard members join
State police and Department of Transportation officials in moving well
over a million people to safety.  At 5:30PM, the Governor is back on the
phone on a conference call with statewide elected officials and the 65
legislators in the affected areas, warning them of the seriousness of
the storm and the importance of leaving, as well as encouraging others
to do so.

"Pray and Pack"

 Late Saturday afternoon, Governor Blanco acts on a report from State
Representative Cedric Richmond of New Orleans.  Representative Richmond
visited a local ballpark that evening where approximately 700 people
were present, and learned that some people had not paid attention to the
weekend news and did not realize the severity of the hurricane aiming at
New Orleans.  He worries that many may have thought that the hurricane
was still targeting the Florida panhandle, as reported by the National
Hurricane Center up until late Friday afternoon.  Governor Blanco calls
her Assistant Chief of Staff, Johnny Anderson, and asks him to contact
the African American ministers in the affected areas.  The Governor
suggests that they call their members urging immediate evacuations, and
then advise those attending Sunday morning services to "Pray and Pack"
without delay.  Anderson stays up through the night making the calls to
ministers and other leaders.   

National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield calls Governor Blanco on
Saturday evening to share his professional opinion of the severity of
Katrina.  The Governor calls Mayor Nagin and urges him to call Mayfield
and speak with him directly to hear the dire warning for himself.  Nagin
calls the Governor back after his conversation with Mayfield, and tells
her that he would order a mandatory evacuation first thing in the
morning.  Governor Blanco offers to join him to add her authority and
support to this announcement. 

Weekend: Pre-Positioning and Statewide Preparations Underway

 On Saturday and Sunday, Governor Blanco oversees the State agencies as
they move forward in a coordinated effort under the State of Emergency
Operations Plan to pre-position and prepare for the storm.  For example,
as soon as the hurricane is in the Gulf of Mexico, Governor Blanco
authorizes the Adjutant General of Louisiana, Major General Bennett
Landreneau, to mobilize 2000 Louisiana National Guard soldiers and
airmen, with the numbers increasing to 4,000 and continuing to grow as
the storm continues to shift west.  The Louisiana State Police and the
Department of Transportation and Development deploy personnel across the
state to assist evacuating motorists and to help direct evacuees to
appropriate shelters.  As this occurs, the Public Service Commission
stages utility repair vehicles and personnel in advance of the storm. 

The Louisiana Department of Social Services (DSS), local parishes and
the Red Cross identify shelters to accept pre-storm evacuees in Baton
Rouge, Alexandria, Monroe, and other areas, with certain shelters
designated for the special needs population.  The Louisiana Department
of Health and Hospitals works closely with DSS during this critical time
to stage medical personnel to offer medical assistance to evacuees.  The
Louisiana Shelter Task Force diligently works to man shelter checkpoints
and supply personnel to open the shelters.  Further, Dr. Fred Cerise,
Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, assembles a team of
officials staged to travel to New Orleans to oversee medical care for
evacuees.     

Aware that some areas will always experience flooding, the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries stages some 400 watercraft at
regional locations so they are poised to engage in search and rescue
efforts.  In addition to conducting needed rescues, these Wildlife and
Fisheries agents would be able to provide early insight when little
information is available from the affected areas immediately after the
storm.  The actions detailed above provide only a limited overview of
the extensive planning process underway under the State Emergency
Operations Plan, as the full resources of the State come together as
planned in preparation for Hurricane Katrina. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2005

Governor Continues Urging Residents to Leave

 Governor Blanco rises at 4AM on Sunday to appear on Good Morning
America and four other news programs, continuing to urge the people of
Southeast Louisiana to immediately evacuate.  The Governor follows her
request for a federal emergency declaration by requesting that President
Bush issue an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration beginning on Sunday,
thereby freeing up additional federal relief for the State. 

 General Landreneau keeps the Governor apprised as additional Louisiana
National Guardsmen are activated, alerting her that 4,000 will be on
duty by Monday.  In addition, the General begins Emergency Management
Assistance Compact (EMAC) coordination with individual states asking
them to send their National Guard troops.  Louisiana has a long history
of sending National Guard members to help neighboring states recover
from natural disasters, and now appreciates the reciprocation of
Louisiana's neighbors.   

 Per their agreement on Saturday, Governor Blanco joins Mayor Nagin in
New Orleans on Sunday as he calls for a mandatory evacuation of Orleans
Parish.  Governor Blanco receives a call from President Bush just before
she walks into the news conference, telling him that she is with the
Mayor and he will order a mandatory evacuation in just a few minutes.
She tells the President that the evacuation of the affected areas
started early yesterday morning and proceeded all through the night, and
she thanks the President for signing the disaster declaration. 

At the news conference, the Governor again urges people to heed the
mandatory evacuation order.  She advises people who have not done so to
pick up evacuation maps at easy to reach locations around town and plan
their routes and destinations.  The Governor also advises families to
pack as though they are going on a camping trip with food, water, toys,
clothing, etc. for at least three days.  She urges drivers to proceed
with caution to avoid auto accidents.   

  On Sunday night, Governor Blanco holds a press conference to announce
the end of contra-flow (which needs to end before the high winds begin
so that DOTD and State Police employees and their equipment can be moved
to safety) and to urge continued evacuations.  The Governor chose to
continue contra-flow until the last possible moment, sending a state
police helicopter to fly over contra-flow loading points to make sure
that there were no traffic backups remaining, and keeping it activated
two hours after it was scheduled to conclude.  She thanks the "citizens
of the Greater New Orleans area for the heroic, serious and courteous
manner in which they have conducted themselves in the past several
days," and expresses "grave concern" about reports that some people are
not evacuating.  Even though contra-flow has ended, Governor Blanco
stresses that people should still leave and get out of town now, as
evacuation routes are still open. 

 The Governor participates in yet another conference call with
legislators, statewide elected officials, and members of the
Congressional delegation, updating them on all recent actions. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2005

Landfall

 Governor Blanco awakes at 4:45AM to participate on the morning
television shows, continuing to provide reports as Katrina makes
landfall.  She remains throughout the day at the Louisiana Office of
Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (LOHSEP), participating in
Emergency Operations Conference Calls at 7:30AM and again at 5:30PM, and
monitoring reports of storm damage throughout the day.  Major General
Landreneau assures the Governor that the Louisiana National Guard has
now alerted all available 5700 (eventually this number would grow to
6100) Louisiana members of the Guard who are not serving in Iraq or
Afghanistan. 

 Throughout the day reports pour in from the affected areas, and the
Governor learns that approximately 10,000 evacuees are riding out the
storm in the Superdome.  Agencies have their assets prepositioned and
ready to roll as soon as it is safe to venture into the winds.  The
Governor's Chief of Staff, Andy Kopplin, sends out an alert to all staff
telling everyone to be prepared to be proactive in providing
information, coordination and assistance. 

"We Need Everything You've Got"

Governor Blanco again speaks with President Bush, informing him that she
would need every resource possible from the federal government.  She
recalls telling him, "We need your help.  We need everything you've
got."  Based on their conversation, she believes he understands the
urgency of the situation, and has every intention to send all of the
resources and assistance within the power of the federal government.
>From the beginning, she believed and continues to believe President Bush
desired to be as helpful as he could be in the face of such an
unprecedented catastrophe.

Governor Blanco meets with Mike Brown, the Director of FEMA, who reviews
what FEMA will do for disaster assistance and assures the Governor not
to worry about costs, that all the State's needs will be provided.  He
mentions supplies, money for those with destroyed homes ($26,200) and
that FEMA has 500 buses on standby, ready to be deployed.  He cautions
that drivers can only drive for 12-hour shifts and must rest.  The
Governor recommends that they double team and alternate drivers, and
Brown replies that some do but others do not.
 
Worst Case Scenario

 On Monday, it becomes clear that New Orleans has not dodged the bullet
as some commentators initially suggested, and that was obvious
throughout the day at the Emergency Operations Center as reports of a
breach in the roof of the Superdome, major flooding in Plaquemines and
St. Bernard Parishes and the Lower Ninth Ward are reported.  The
catastrophic damage of Katrina - the double punch of first the hurricane
winds and then the surging floodwaters - becomes increasingly apparent.
 
The Governor orders Secretary Dwight Landreneau of the Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries to deploy rescue boats as soon as winds die down
to gale force at 40 mph, so they can begin to rescue stranded people.
Sam Jones, the Governor's Deputy Director of Community Programs, speaks
with her by phone Monday night, and she orders him to begin recruiting
private boats and volunteers to aid in the rescue effort.  The LDWF
directs a growing battalion of first responders and other spontaneous
volunteers arriving with boats and equipment to assigned staging areas
for rescue missions. 

National Guard members rescue people from the Lower Ninth Ward waters,
where Jackson Barracks, the National Guard headquarters, is located and
has also flooded.  In and around Jackson Barracks and St. Bernard
Parish, the storm surge causes the waters to rise as much as twelve feet
in a span of 30 to 40 minutes.  Louisiana-based members of the Coast
Guard are also running rescue missions.  The heroism and selfless acts
of bravery exhibited by these early rescuers and the thousands of
volunteers who joined them cannot be overstated.   

 Scattered reports begin filtering in to the Governor from the affected
areas.  Representative Nita Hutter reports being stranded with the
Parish President and a large number of people on the second floor of a
building in St. Bernard Parish with water filling the first floor and
with high water as far as the eye can see.  Mayor Nagin alerts the
Governor that the catastrophic damage of the storm may escalate, as they
believe the 17th Street Canal wall is failing.  The Governor reports
this to Major General Landreneau.  As early reports come in, the extent
of the breach is not clear, but the 17th Street breach results in the
flooding of vast residential areas as well as downtown New Orleans. The
first signs of serious problems with the communications systems also
become apparent on Monday as it becomes more and more difficult to reach
the affected areas by phone. 
 
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2005

Assessing the Damage

FEMA Director Mike Brown and Senators Landrieu and Vitter join Governor
Blanco for a Blackhawk flight to survey Katrina's damage on Tuesday
morning.  Their group meets with Mayor Nagin and receives an overview of
the situation before returning to Baton Rouge.  The Governor returns
from the trip extremely concerned by the extent of the devastation and
the limits of the State's resources.   

The floodwaters continue to deepen and encompass most parts of the city
and area parishes also flooded from other effects of the storm.  On
Tuesday, floodwaters are still surging across New Orleans and
surrounding neighborhoods from levee breaks.  It is now becoming
harrowingly clear that the dreaded "big one" has arrived, and the city
that lies below sea level is in dire trouble.   

 As the extent of the flood damage becomes apparent, Governor Blanco
meets with Leonard Kleinpeter and other members of her staff, ordering
them to locate buses to evacuate people who remained in New Orleans.  It
was still unclear at this point how many bus evacuations would need to
occur, but Kleinpeter begins lining up buses from local school districts
and churches. 

 The Governor's Office staff, under the direction of Kim Hunter Reed,
sets up a call center and a staffing system to field the massive volume
of incoming emergency rescue calls.  The Governor orders that incoming
calls are to be answered on an around the clock basis, as these incoming
calls are primarily rescue requests and/or people seeking assistance in
locating family members.  Initially the calls are fielded directly from
the Governor's office.  Later in the week, the Governor's staff arranges
for a higher volume 800-number to be issued, and relocates the operation
to a call center at the Department of Public Safety's Office of Motor
Vehicles. 

 As floodwaters spread, the crowd surges beyond the initial evacuees at
the Superdome.  Initially many drive from their homes and arrive by car,
with more arriving on foot and pushing family members on rafts as the
water rises.  Governor Blanco travels for a second time to the Superdome
on Tuesday, to see for herself the developing situation as the
communications systems are severely degraded.  She wants to learn
additional information and speak with the people who are gathering
there.  She sees that people are worried about being separated from
their families in the rescue efforts, as so many are being forced to
board separate boats.  They say that the food and water lines are long,
but the Governor is assured that at least there is food, water and
medical care.  With limited communications ability, it is difficult to
calm nerves and communicate information to a crowd that large.  The
Governor leaves for Baton Rouge extremely concerned by the difficult
situations these families face, and determined that the Superdome must
be evacuated as soon as possible. 

Governor Blanco calls General Landreneau after her return from the
Superdome and expresses her escalating concern about the lack of
significant federal resources to supplement the State's efforts.   She
instructs the General to ask for all available assistance from the
National Guard and the United States Government, specifically federal
military assistance.  The Governor wants to know the status of the
troops and if he has any information about the pending arrival of the
FEMA buses, as she plans to use them to evacuate the Superdome on
Wednesday. 

Major General Landreneau reports to the Governor that he receives a call
from United States Army Lieutenant General Russ Honore and relayed to
Honore their request for significant federal troops and resources.
General Landreneau reports that he also asks National Guard Bureau Chief
Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum to assist with generating additional
assistance from the National Guard units from across the country to help
with the effort, and the Governor is assured that General Blum begins to
do so immediately. 

 Late on Tuesday night, Governor Blanco calls Ann Williamson, Secretary
of the Department of Social Services, and instructs her to find a
shelter by 6AM for at least 25,000 people.   
 
 
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2005

Governor Declares August 31st an Official Day of Prayer for the Victims,
their Families, and the Rescuers

Need for Federal Resources Escalates

 When the expected and promised federal resources still have not arrived
on Wednesday, Governor Blanco places an urgent morning call to the White
House in an effort to reach President Bush and express the need for
significant resources.  She is unable to reach President Bush or his
Chief of Staff, Andrew Card.  A later phone call reaches Maggie Grant in
the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.  The Governor
receives a call from Homeland Security Advisor Frances Townsend.  Andrew
Card later returns her call too, and she requests his help in getting
the promised FEMA buses into the New Orleans area.  She suggests that
500 will not be enough, and that she might need as many as 5,000 buses.
He affirms that he believes he can help with this. 

 Later Wednesday afternoon, the Governor places a second call to
President Bush.  She stresses to him that the situation is extremely
grave and asks for additional resources.  Governor Blanco also
specifically stresses that she wants to continue to be his partner in a
unity of effort as is called for under the National Response Plan.  To
relay the urgency and the magnitude of the need at that point in time,
the Governor tells the President she estimates 40,000 troops would be
needed, and again reiterates her frustration about the FEMA buses.


 In the meantime, the Corps of Engineers, the Louisiana Department of
Transportation, and the National Guard attempt to fill the breach in the
canal wall.  Major General Landreneau dispatches engineers and
helicopters from the National Guard to airlift 3,000 pound sandbags to
drop into the ruptured 17th Street Canal wall.  The General later
reports that the hole is far too deep and too large and there is no
significant relief from the floodwaters in spite of early efforts to
fill the breach.  Reports are received that large crowds are beginning
to gather at the Convention Center.  The city has not pre-planned this
building as an evacuation site.  The Governor grows more concerned
recognizing this situation makes the need for FEMA buses even more
acute. 

Governor Pushes Forward with Evacuation

 Governor Blanco is determined to move ahead on evacuating the Superdome
with or without the federal resources.  With designated shelters, hotels
and most households in Louisiana bursting at the seams from evacuees who
left during contra-flow, she knows she has to secure additional
locations where she can transport those who are still in New Orleans. 
 
Wednesday morning, Governor Blanco calls Governor Rick Perry of Texas to
coordinate the arrival of evacuees from New Orleans to Texas.  It was
agreed that the Astrodome would be opened to accept evacuees.  In
addition to Governor Perry, she also calls to secure the support of
Houston Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Robert Echols of Texas
to pave the way for temporarily housing evacuees in the Astrodome.     

 General Landreneau presents Lieutenant General Russ Honore to Governor
Blanco when he arrives on Wednesday at the Office of Emergency
Preparedness.  Everyone welcomes the appearance of Louisiana native
General Honore, as the assumption is that his arrival indicates the
federal troops are here or on their way with the equipment needed to
help get the job done in response to the Governor's requests.  The
Governor asks him to coordinate the evacuation efforts in New Orleans,
so that General Landreneau can concentrate on saving lives, search and
rescue, and law and order issues.  Governor Blanco later asks Honore if
he brought a large number of soldiers, and learns that he arrived with
only a small support staff.  The evacuation must be conducted by
National Guard troops, as the federal contingent has not arrived.   


Brigade of Buses

 With no sign of the promised FEMA buses in sight on Wednesday, General
Honore requests more school buses and Governor Blanco issues Executive
Order No. KBB 2005-31 later in the day, allowing her to officially
commandeer or utilize any private property she finds necessary to cope
with the disaster or emergency.  Governor Blanco's office continues to
direct each school superintendent to provide an inventory of school
buses and bus drivers in their districts. 

 An estimated 1500 school buses were commandeered.  Although all of the
buses were not ultimately used, initial estimates indicate that at least
800 school bus trips were made shuttling evacuees to safety.  The
Governor's staff arranges a staging and implementation plan that keeps
the buses flowing in convoys once the order is issued.  It is important
to note that as reports of violence escalate on the news, many potential
bus drivers become understandably concerned about the safety of driving
into the city on rescue missions.  All available first responders from
the Baton Rouge area and surrounding parishes are involved in the rescue
efforts, so are not able to ride the individual buses on their missions.
Police escorts accompany convoys in groups of ten buses.  Those who
respond to the call for bus drivers are saluted for their bravery.     

With the FEMA buses rumored to be on the way and helicopter rescue
operations increasing, at some point, it is suggested that the school
bus convoys are not needed.  Governor Blanco refuses to halt the school
bus convoys, and instructs her staff to proceed with securing every bus
- school, church or tour bus - they can acquire.  She pushes to move the
bus convoy full speed ahead as it is uncertain whether or not the
rumored FEMA buses would ever materialize, and she is not willing to
rely solely on helicopter operations to move people to safety.  As of
10:30PM on Wednesday night, there was still no word about the status of
significant numbers of FEMA buses. 

Governor Blanco flies over the Cloverleaf area and sees the crowds
gathering on raised highways and levees.  She instructs her staff to
send available school bus convoys to those areas too.  As horrible and
uncomfortable as conditions are in the Superdome, there is at least
food, water and shelter from the sun.  People brought to the raised
surfaces as they transitioned to safety had no shelter from the sun, and
many of these children, elderly and other adults had been subjected to
the elements.  As people were bused out from the highways, others took
their place in a constant flow of evacuees deposited by the boat and
helicopter rescuers.   

 Just before midnight on Wednesday, the Governor learns that a number of
the promised FEMA buses are finally crossing into North Louisiana, some
7 or 8 hours away from New Orleans.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2005

With all shelters and communities bursting at the seams, on Thursday
Governor Blanco issues Executive Order KBB 2005-24 allowing all evacuees
occupying hotel rooms to continue occupying the room under the normal
terms, conditions and rates.  The Governor takes this precaution because
she does not want evacuees competing for rooms with non-evacuees.  In an
effort to address the housing shortfall, Governor Blanco also writes to
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso
Jackson and urges him to consider both immediate and long-term housing
solutions for evacuees.  

A Growing Contingent of National Guard Troops

 In response to widespread reports of looting and violence, a large
number of security forces including Military Police that the Governor
had ordered earlier in the week from the National Guard arrive on the
streets of New Orleans.  Governor Blanco announces that they are just
back from Iraq, armed with M-16s that are "locked and loaded," that they
are trained to shoot to kill and would accommodate anyone threatening
the lives of evacuees or rescuers.  They never fire their weapons, but
law and order is restored.   
 
 On Thursday evening, General Blum, Chief of the National Guard Bureau,
arrives in Baton Rouge.  His arrival is in response to General
Landreneau's appeal for Blum's assistance in continuing efforts to
recruit larger contingents of National Guard troops needed from across
the country and the territories.  General Blum meets with the Governor
and General Landreneau to report on his progress and to inform the
Governor that he has a large number of National Guard troops that have
arrived with more on the way.  The discussion turns to the role of the
National Guard, and the Governor's desire for federal troops to assist
the State. 

 General Blum provides his candid assessment that the Governor should
not federalize the troops, recommending the dual command structure.  He
confirms the Governor's position that a joint command is appropriate,
with Lieutenant General Honore commanding federal forces and Major
General Landreneau commanding State forces, and that federalization
would not be necessary to receive more federal assets.  Additionally,
any such move to place Guard troops on Title 10 status would have
significantly limited our capacity to conduct law enforcement missions.
We all know that the Posse Comitatus Act significantly limits the
situations when the army and air force can conduct law enforcement
missions.  The reality is that thousands of Guard troops are pouring
into the State, yet very few federal troops are on the ground to meet
the Governor's request.  

 On Thursday evening, Governor Blanco decides to hire an experienced
expert to serve as the State's liaison with FEMA and to cut through the
red tape as the disaster recovery efforts continue.  Governor Blanco
hires former FEMA Director James Lee Witt to assist in the recovery.
Witt is well respected within FEMA, and with more than 25 years of
disaster management experience, is one of the country's foremost experts
on responding to natural disasters.  Executive Counsel Terry Ryder
called Friday morning from the Governor's office to extend the offer to
James Lee Witt, and he agrees to start immediately, arriving ready to
work on Friday night. 


FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2005

Bring the 256th Home

 With all available Louisiana National Guard troops activated and
thousands of National Guard forces pouring in from across the country to
meet the tremendous needs of the State, Governor Blanco delivers another
official request to President Bush urging him to allow for the
expeditious return of the soldiers of the 256th Brigade Combat Team as
they have completed their mission in the Iraqi theatre of operations and
they are urgently needed here at home to assist in the recovery efforts.
Her letter also requests federal assistance with aerial and ground
firefighting support; a fleet of military vehicles that would remain in
the affected areas; at least 175 generators; medical supplies including
personnel, equipment, drugs and vaccines; assistance with mortuary
affairs; and assistance in dealing with injured animals and animal
remains.  She prioritizes the need for federal help in rebuilding
Louisiana's communications grid.       

In an effort to utilize the services of doctors who were answering
Louisiana's much needed calls for medical assistance, Governor Blanco
issues Executive Order No. KBB 2005-26, declaring a state of public
health emergency and facilitating the acceptance of additional medical
professional assistance.  This order temporarily suspends Louisiana's
licensure laws, rules and regulations for medical professionals and
personnel who possess medical licenses in good standing in their
respective states, thereby helping out-of-state medical professionals
and personnel treat those in need of urgent care.    

Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People

 On Friday, Governor Blanco creates and announces the Louisiana Disaster
Recovery Foundation, a non-profit foundation developed to accept
donations pouring in to the State to meet the needs of Louisiana's
people.  In an overwhelming show of generosity and support, people from
across the United States and the globe reach out to Louisiana in her
time of need, sending their contributions and their prayers. 

The Tide Begins to Turn

 General Landreneau assures the Governor that some 30,000 occupants of
the Superdome have now been evacuated, but alerts her that thousands
more continue to come.  He also notifies the Governor that improvement
is underway at the Convention Center, with large shares of rations and
security in place brought in by the National Guard.  He reports on the
continued escalation of EMAC forces.  On day four after Katrina hits
Louisiana, Governor Blanco sees the tide beginning to turn in search and
rescue missions, evacuations and peacekeeping efforts.  The first
responders, National Guard, State officials, in and out of State
volunteers, and citizens of Louisiana stepped up and pulled together to
get through the crisis moments created by the largest natural disaster
ever to strike this country.  It was not pleasant to experience or
watch, but tens of thousands of lives were saved.  


Governor Meets with President

 President Bush arrives in New Orleans on Friday for his first visit
since Katrina, and schedules a meeting with Governor Blanco, Mayor Nagin
and other members of the Louisiana Congressional delegation aboard Air
Force One.  Each local leader briefs the President on the situation, and
gives him an overview of his or her concerns.  As the official meeting
concludes, President Bush invites Governor Blanco to join him in a
private office with a member of the White House Staff. 

The Governor has a private conversation with President Bush about the
command structure of the operations, and reiterates her need for a
significant number of federal troops.  The President asks Governor
Blanco to put her troops, the Louisiana National Guard and EMAC National
Guard, under control of a Department of Defense appointed General.  By
the time of Friday's conversation, the situation has evolved and the
immediate needs on the ground are far different than the needs when
federal troops were first requested earlier in the week.  By Friday, the
State has received a massive National Guard presence including troops
from other States under the command of Louisiana's Adjutant General
(TAG), General Bennett Landreneau.  Over 8,000 National Guard soldiers
and airmen and women are on the ground, working in Louisiana as part of
Task Force Pelican.  Three thousand of these troops are from other
states, with an additional 15,000 reinforcements expected by Monday.
They are making giant strides stabilizing the situation and evacuating
the Superdome and the Convention Center using the commercial buses that
have finally arrived, but there are no significant numbers of federal
troops in Louisiana.   

In spite of the significant progress that has been made in the last two
days, the Governor insists on securing more federal troops and assets
that she realizes will be required to accomplish the work that lies
ahead.  Governor Blanco reiterates that she is satisfied with General
Landreneau heading up the massive effort underway by the National Guard.
When federal troops did not arrive, the National Guard increased their
troops through EMACs, and moved mountains to turn the corner.  This was
the largest and quickest EMAC activation in American history, including
the participation of forty-eight states and four territories.  The
Governor suggests that President Bush assign Lieutenant General Honore
to command the federal troops that would be deployed to Louisiana, as
there is still so much work that needs to be done.  Even though
Lieutenant General Honore arrived without his army, he is performing a
valuable service helping to coordinate the evacuation of the city, and
working side by side to complement the National Guard effort.   

By Friday, unity of effort is already achieved.  The supporting
governors have already placed their National Guard forces under Governor
Blanco's operational control.  The President has directed Lieutenant
General Honore to conduct the military assistance to civil authorities
mission.  Governor Blanco has communicated her intent and purpose to
Lieutenant General Honore.  He and Major General Landreneau are both
executing that intent and purpose.
  
Out of respect for the President, Governor Blanco agrees that she would
talk to General Landreneau and her Executive Counsel and review the
President's reorganization proposal.  She remains clear and steadfast,
however, that the present command structure is appropriate and fully
capable to command both federal and Guard troops.  Historically, the
joint command structure worked well in other federal emergency responses
such as Hurricane Andrew in Florida.  The federal government could send
troops under this organization that would remain under the command of
Lieutenant General Honore, which is exactly what was done.

Much has been said and written about the Governor's private meeting with
the President, and erroneous reports have been circulated that she
denied federal troops or delayed help for 24-hours.  The facts are clear
and evidence confirms that the Governor requests early and often the
need for additional military presence, including a federal military
presence and assets.  At no time does anyone from the federal government
tell her that federal troops are withheld because the existing structure
was inadequate.  In fact, the new proposal is first presented to her
aboard Air Force One on Friday, four days after the storm struck on
Monday, and the President never suggests that federal troops were
reliant on this new structure nor did he convey that the joint command
structure is insufficient.  She believes that the President is sincere
in his pledge to help Louisiana.  She is clear about needing that help,
particularly in the immediate aftermath of the storm. 

In agreeing to discuss the reorganization with General Landreneau and
her Executive Counsel, the Governor is concerned that restructuring
could confuse the steadily improving situation on the ground.  The
National Guard troops have risen to the occasion, and making an abrupt
change in command for no apparent reason may disrupt ongoing operations.
Sending the federal troops under the command of General Honore, as the
Governor suggests, is indeed what the President decides to do on
Saturday, five days after the storm, using the existing command
structure.   

 Close to midnight on Friday, Governor Blanco receives phone calls from
General Steve Blum, just after his return to DC, and White House Chief
of Staff Andrew Card who want to discuss with her their proposed
organizational restructuring.  She hears them out, but continues to
believe, given the stabilization now underway and the massive National
Guard buildup on the ground, that bringing in the federal forces and
putting them under the command of General Honore to coordinate with
General Landreneau who leads the Guard forces is the most effective
solution.  

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2005

Federal Troops on Their Way

 Just before the President delivers his Radio Address on Saturday
morning, Governor Blanco speaks to Andrew Card who tells her that she
will be pleased with the President's announcement.  The Governor listens
intently as the President speaks, and is thankful that he has authorized
federal troops to work with the National Guard.   

At noon, Governor Blanco reports to the press on her meeting with the
President where she again asks for federal assistance.  The State has
now received his assurance that 7,000 additional troops are on the way.
The troops are coming from the 82nd Airborne, the 1st Calvary, and the
1st and 2nd Marine Expeditionary Forces, and they would operate under
the direct command of Louisiana native Lieutenant General Russ Honore,
who commands Joint Task Force Katrina.   

 In the days that follow, the Governor and her staff are deeply involved
in getting help to local communities, identifying housing, fighting to
make sure Louisiana's people are employed in the recovery, reuniting
families, visiting people in shelters both in state and out of state,
meeting with visiting members of Congress, Secretary Chertoff, Admiral
Allen, the Vice President, the President and his staff, and leading many
follow-up visits to the affected areas.  The magnitude of the
devastation demands the full time and attention of the Governor.  She
and her staff work 14 to 18 hours, seven days a week, for weeks
afterward. 

 Just last year, FEMA ran a federal, state, and local doomsday scenario
called Hurricane Pam with emergency preparedness people from the State
and the New Orleans area.  While the analysis is still pending, nearly
everything negative predicted in this fictional disaster comes true
during the very real Katrina.  There is one glaring exception.  Pam
predicts some 61,000 deaths would occur.  Instead, at the time of
submission, the Governor and Louisiana mourn the deaths of 1,067, a
tragedy for the State but thankfully a far cry from predictions.
Because of a well-organized initiative, well over one million people
pre-evacuated the New Orleans region.  Thousands who stayed were pulled
from attics and rooftops; with some 78,000 bused or flown to safety in
the aftermath of Katrina.  We must never forget the heroes of Katrina. 

 State officials did not rest from the moment Katrina turned her
firepower toward Louisiana.  All the resources the State had to bear
were brought to aid in the evacuation, rescue, recovery and rebuilding
efforts.  In a demonstration of the resolve and commitment to move
forward, the State turned from Hurricane Katrina to successfully prepare
for and respond to the additional devastation unleashed by Hurricane
Rita and the floods that followed that storm.  Today, Governor Blanco
leads a massive rebuilding effort.  Our people stand unified together as
we rebuild Louisiana safer, stronger and better than before Katrina and
Rita.

 
Bob Mann
Communications Director
Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
225-342-0616 - Office
225-376-4914 - Fax
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org <http://www.louisianahelp.org/>