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This historical perspective on experiences of the Commander of Joint Task Force-Katrina speaks courageously about policies that, over time, created vulnerabilities to our national safety and security.
KATRINA'S IMPACT
Hurricane Katrina beat us.1 We lost the ability to communicate, transport by land and air, and provide health care for the population. Louisiana and Mississippi communities sustained a complete collapse of their civil infrastructures, including police, fire, medical and public health, and communication. The storm and its ensuing flooding caused the largest forced migration in US history.
Hurricane Katrinas eastward path spared metro New Orleans, Louisiana, from a direct hit. However, the coastal storm surge, combined with surge in a manmade canal (Mississippi River Gulf Outlet) that over 30 years destroyed important protective wetlands, severely strained the levee system.2 The result was 12 feet of flooding in 80% of New Orleans.
The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet project, constructed to provide a shorter route between New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico, is widely described as a dangerous alteration to the areas ecosystem.2 In addition, state and federal authorities approved construction of a levee system to withstand a Category 3 storm when evidence showed the eventual likelihood ofa Category 5. On average, 70% of New Orleans sits between two and five feet below sea level. The Mississippi River, which divides the city, ranges from 4 to 20 feet above sea level based on seasonal flood stages.
JOINT TASK FORCE-KATRINA
The art of command is to enter a situation and unconfuse people.1 The catastrophic conditions given the collapsed infrastructures and public perception of civic abandonment necessitated establishing order as a critical and immediate role for Joint Task Force-Katrina, in unity of effort with other military partners.
The legal authority for the US Army to deploy troops during disasters and other national emergencies dates to 1865-4 years after the Civil War, when troops assisted with introducing former slaves to daily American life.3 The Department of Defense (US Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado) established Joint Task Force- Katrina on August 30, 2005. The mission was to provide relief and recovery efforts as prioritized by Louisiana, Mississippi, and federal leadership.
Upon arrival of Task Force leadership on August 31, 2005, there was already total failure of all communication and emergency...