Student’s speak out about relief efforts
 
Two weeks after Hurricane Katrina submerged New Orleans and destroyed much of the Gulf Coast, some University students are disappointed by the government’s response to the more than 10,000 people left stranded after floodwater breached New Orleans’ levee system.
“Their response was handled poorly – very, very poorly,” said Derrick Angeletti, engineering sophomore and visiting student from the University of New Orleans.
Angeletti said he thinks the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not do its job.
“I don’t understand why they stopped search and rescue operations so they could stop looting,” Angeletti said. “The city was underwater anyway. Let them take it.”
After two weeks of continuing criticism for his relief operations, FEMA’s director Michael Brown resigned Monday.
Brown said in a statement from his former agency Monday, “It is important that I leave now to avoid further distraction from the ongoing mission of FEMA.”
Not all University students said FEMA was entirely to blame, however.
Lauren Laird, communication disorders freshman, said she thinks New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin should have shown more leadership in the days following Katrina.
“I think if there had been a strong leader, it could have been different,” Laird said. “The mayor should have been that leader.”
Thomas Lynch, chemistry sophomore, also said he thinks the city and state governments did not handle the aftermath of Katrina as well as they could have.
“I think it was mishandled at a local level,” Lynch said. “They shouldn’t have had to wait for Bush to step in. They should have had their own plan.”
Justin Beard, finance sophomore, said he thinks there is enough fault to be shared by all levels of government.
“There was no authority or organization down there. We’ve known this would happen for years, and nothing was done to prepare for [a powerful hurricane],” Beard said. “It’s a little bit of every level of the government’s fault. There should have been a set plan.”
Some students said there is no point in placing blame on anyone.
“It happened the way it happened,” said Brett Lato, kinesiology junior. “They could have been more prepared, but they weren’t, so now they are doing the best they can. If you want to change something, run for governor.”
Paul Kemp, associate professor in the School of Coast and Environment and researcher for the Hurricane Center, said he thinks the best defense from future hurricanes is to be better prepared.
“I’m not an engineer, but we have seen that higher levees and smarter structures will help protect New Orleans,” Kemp said. “They have storm barriers that open and close on the Thames River in England and another one is under construction in Venice. These could really help.”
Kemp also said he was disappointed in how the government handled their response.
“If I said everything was perfect, I’d be the only one,” he said.
Contact Jeff Jeffrey at [email protected]