Opening comments theme "We wouldn't be here if the levees hadn't failed."
Highlights of questions:
- By delaying ordering mandatory evacuation parts of the city's emergency plan were
not activated in a timely manner. Why didn't you order evacuation
earlier? Answer - we didn't think it would help (several reasons staged evac, stubborn people, uncertainty, credibility, other appeals to leave, legal concerns) Follow up - wouldn't a declaration have initiated all sorts of actions that would have saved lives?
No direct answer to this question. Why not answer? Failing to answer
leaves the question hanging and the questioner believing that he has
made an important point.
- Were levees properly maintained (by locals) after design by COE. Follow up question on same issue. This
question was not answered at all even though it was asked twice. Seems
like a huge missed opportunity to set the record straight. I am more
than curious as to why this question was ducked.
- Why were the buses left in an area that could flood? This is the most lasting image of the storm. Blanco
ducked this and another image question defering to Nagin, Nagin alluded
to the fact that he doesn't control the School Board and its resources
and commented that he did use RTA buses to move people from around the
city to the Dome.