FEMA chief Michael Brown provided one of the most maddening moments in the bungled response to Katrina when he announced that he had “just learned” that hurricane victims were trapped at the New Orleans convention center — a full day after reporters starting screaming about the hellish conditions there.
Why didn’t “Brownie” know what was obvious to the average cable news couch potato? the new issue of Aviation Week provides a clue.
In the Northcom [U.S. military’s Northern Command] operations center, TV coverage of disaster zones was closely monitored, prompting the dispatch of relief missions prior to the receipt of official reports or requests. During past wargames, FEMA and other agencies have been reluctant to be drawn into “the ‘CNN effect’ and instead rely on standard National Response Plan reporting channels, because they were afraid they’d be sucked down a rat hole,” says the retired officer. Players were concerned that critical resources could be diverted by low-priority regions, only because those areas were getting media attention.
THERE’S MORE: If you haven’t been checking out Katherine Cramer’s site over the last two weeks, you’re missing out. She’s using Google’s archive satellite pics to help folks figure out if their houses are safe. She’s investigating the guns-for-hire that’ve been sent into New Orleans. And she even found some maps detailing the Army Corps of Engineers’ repairs of the Big Easy’s levees.
AND MORE: Speaking of Brownie, he just resigned.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Does this sentence refer to a time before Katrina or after. (It’s unclear in context if they are saying that this used to happen or it has begun happening now. Either that or I’m being particularly dense this afternoon.)
“In the Northcom [U.S. military's Northern Command] operations center, TV coverage of disaster zones was closely monitored, prompting the dispatch of relief missions prior to the receipt of official reports or requests.”
Gail:
I’m pretty sure that the quote refers to the time immediately after Katrina.
nms
i have been telling folks now that from now on, disaster response might as well embed with the reporters. for if they do not, then the typically horrible situation around the reporter (with his light logistics tail) will be perceived as the true situation. some percentage of the relief aid will have to be invested in a unplanned manner so that the negative news will not otherwise obscure the heroics involved in satisfying the enormous difficulties of providing logistical support in a hostile environment. don’t have to like it, just the nature of the future.
For what it’s worth it appears that NORTHCOM hung FEMA out to dry, punn intended.
From my understanding what Gail said is correct, why wasn’t this information shared?
The critical piece was the clip on the folks who were stranded at the Convention Center, it was nearly 36 hours if I recall before any help got to that site.
The problem here is either that NORTHCOM didn’t share information or as has been stated the CNN effect took over.
Either condition is an unaccaptable answer.
But of course all New Orlean’s problems are nownsolved, since the Presidentput has put two three stars on the ground and both in charge. How long will this marriage last?
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
“Stewart’s Platoon”
this is ridiculous. just becouse a few stranded people are on cnn doesnt ‘drive’ the relief. of course its now clear that cnn should be watched so when they have the ‘thousands stranded for days w/o food/water at convention center’ you might have actually heard about it.
and of course they might have noticed that the levee’s actually broke…. not that there werent other sources on monday… but the tv might have given them a clue.
It does make a degree of sense, given that with modern comms, their light logistics, flat command structure and strong incentives to reach the trouble, the media are possibly a better paradigm for information gathering….next time, they should airdrop bloggers over the threatened area (only partially snark)
Michael Brown is unquestionably the sexiest man on the face of the earth.
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