Failure of Immediate Response Underscored
Dr. Brinkley documented the critical days of Hurricane Katrina in his book, The Great Deluge. At Restoration 2007, he provided an unblinking analysis of government failures in the response to Hurricane Katrina, from the incredible fact that the City of New Orleans possessed just two boats, to the federal government’s false assurances that “buses were coming” to pick up the thousands who were stranded there.
Dr. Brinkley complimented the Coast Guard’s response and the National Guard’s professionalism in maintaining order at the Superdome, despite being told numerous times that buses were coming and later being forced to tell lines of desperate people that help was not on the way after all.
Ageism and society’s treatment of senior citizens were on display in the disaster, too. Dr. Brinkley said that one reason the elderly were unable to evacuate was that they were waiting for their Social Security checks to arrive at the end of the month. Asking the elderly and disabled to abandon pets, sometimes their only companions, was an unacceptable policy. He praised the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for its organization of pet evacuations and noted that every stray animal had medical charts and pre-arranged transportation to take them on air conditioned buses to Houston.
Networked Approach to Emergency Management Stressed
During the opening session, moderator and ICMA Deputy Executive Director Elizabeth Kellar stressed the need for change in government’s approach to disasters and for more professional management in the Gulf Region. “More professional leaders in the region should join organizations like ICMA. Not only will they find world-class opportunities for learning, they also will become part of a network of people who reach out to each other in times of need.”
“ICMA has been a tireless advocate of a networked approach to emergency management,” Kellar said. “A network-centered approach has the flexibility to move people, resources, and assets where they need to be, when they need to be there. It can provide sustained support from one region to another, leveraging the resources of multiple local governments, the private sector, faith community, and non profit sector.”
In addition to sponsoring this second Restoration conference in New Orleans, ICMA also co-founded the National Emergency Management Network, which supports development of local networks with tools, training and resources; and played a key role in recruiting a group of Florida professional managers to provide disaster recovery assistance to the Gulf Coast-area community of Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Updates on New Orleans Recovery
Speaking for the City of New Orleans, Dr. Edward Blakely, Executive Director of Recovery Management, gave Restoration 2007 attendees a snapshot of the recovery process:
- The population is now 263,000, a substantial increase from just a few months ago
- The city has recovered 80 percent of its pre-Katrina revenues, largely from the sales tax revenues from the purchase of automobiles, appliances, and home rebuilding expenditures
- Ninety-five percent of home owners are paying property taxes.
Dr. Blakely also acknowledged that the recovery process will probably take 15 years and will be successful largely through the initiative of the local government, the responsible agency. He described six core principles that guide the recovery efforts:
1. Continue the healing process and engage residents in planning discussions
2. Provide physical safety and make sure that schools, hospitals, and police services are fully restored
3. Rebuild in all neighborhoods and build opportunities for everyone to get into higher paying jobs and into home ownership
4. Build a 21st Century infrastructure; go beyond fixing systems that were antiquated and take full advantage of new technologies
5. Create a more diverse economy so New Orleans has more than oil and tourism as a revenue base
6. Make the city a model of smart growth with more walkability and environmental safety.
Relying primarily on $1.1 billion in local government revenues and borrowing, New Orleans has targeted 7 neighborhoods to fast track development. The "old city" in these neighborhoods will be revitalized, with rebuilding planned to start in June 2007.
The Role of Leadership in Emergency Management
Because leadership is a critical ingredient in the recovery and restoration of disaster-affected communities, on Friday, May 4, Restoration 2007 featured a special session, “Community Leadership for Disaster Recovery,” which focused on the role of local leaders in emergency management. During the session, Mayor Richard Hildreth, Pacific, Washington; City Manager William Whitson, Cairo, Georgia; City Manager Craig Malin, Davenport, Iowa; and Dr. Edward Blakely (see above) emphasized the importance of distinguishing and understanding the differences among policy decisions and operations as a way of clarifying the role of elected officials, appointed leaders, and emergency management professionals in the disaster recovery process. The speakers articulated their appropriate roles and training needs for each phase of emergency management within the framework of the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
Conference Impacts
Restoration 2007 brought together more than 300 government, private sector, and community leaders from 17 U.S. states, New Zealand, and Canada. In addition to the sessions highlighted above, conference attendees participated in nearly 40 educational sessions and roundtable discussions on topics ranging from implementing smart codes for reconstruction to establishing mutual aid and emergency management assistance compacts. It is estimated that Restoration 2007 contributed more than $400,000 to the City of News Orleans’ local economy.