The reaction from FEMA was an absolute joke. They were not aware the SuperDome was being used as a refugee center until Thursday. (See the interview with FEMA head Brown)

Apparently FEMA hasn’t learned the lesson the CIA has: CNN (and Fox, and MSNBC, etc) are one of your best sources of on the ground intel. FoxNews has been reporting the SuperDome has been a refugee center since last Sunday.

Second FEMA does not have any form of robust communications system in place than can be dropped into the hands of local officials. As covered elsewhere in this blog, NOPD has been directing people to congregate places for rescue, but rescuers don’t know they are there.

Third: Whey the hell are they waiting for govenors to request this equipment. Someone should just make the decision to deliver it.

Finally, they should have anticipated some (but maybe not all) of the violence. This is a poor city. Poor cities have drug problems. If water isn’t getting into the city, neither are drugs, and you are going to have lots of addicts getting pretty desperate for a fix after a few hours or days. Violence was inevitable.

I’m glad to see someone competent - Lt. General Honore - on the scene.