Volume 7 , Issue 37

Former FEMA Disaster Inspector...

"I've gotten countless queries about my take, as a former FEMA disaster inspector, and resident of southeast Louisiana, on FEMA and the events before, during, and after the landfall of Katrina. I thought your Ezine readers might be interested. This story will be ongoing for some time to come. Fur whut its worth.

I live very near New Orleans. I have lived in Louisiana all my adult life. Everything bad that could happen did. Of course, some people have been warning exactly that a Katrina would occur, and warned of all that did occur. What we have witnessed is a man made disaster. Money meant for better levees was cut, allowing only enough for a category 3 storm. Louisiana is loosing a piece of land on its coast the size of a football field every thirty minutes. Louisiana's coastal areas produce over 25% of all the sea food in America. The same percentage of our national energy products come from here. The port of New Orleans is critical to America's grain exports. The LOOP port facility near the mouth of Bayou Lafourche is critical to the distribution of oil imports as well as the oil produced in the Gulf. 80% of the loss of coastal land in American is happening here. We have long been given the dirty end of the stick. I don't know how much money was diverted to pork barrel projects that could have helped shore up Louisiana, but it is going to cost a whale of a lot more now. What happened in the heart of New Orleans was also a man made disaster.

Because of my hobby of collecting antique bottles, I have spent countless days in the heart of old New Orleans, excavating old wells and privies. Most of the residents I encountered in these older parts of the city are black. I can tell you from personal experience that many of them have hearts of gold. While it is wrong to 'lump' people together, it is also wrong not admit it when something is not right. We should all be as generous as possible. There but for the grace of God" -- Charlie Cook in Louisiana Bayou Country - Charles Cook FEMA Legacy   |  View or Add Comments (1 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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