Some of you might be forgiven for thinking that there was no plan in New Orleans. But that's not the case at all.

May I present the SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA HURRICANE EVACUATION AND SHELTERING PLAN (PDF), from the website of the "Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness ", revised January 2000. Would someone please give a copy to the Mayor?


There were apparently 200 MTA buses and 300+ school buses in New Orleans during the mandatory evacuation that were never used, and weren't flooded until 36-48 hours after they were needed. That many buses is more than enough to have evacuated in less than 12 hours everyone who was left behind.


As incredible as it may seem, New Orleans apparently had a plan, had all of the resources they needed locally - within the city, not just the region, needing no help from FEMA or even the state of Louisiana - and still managed a crisis management performance even a third-rate prehistoric tribe would be ashamed of.