Even on DAY SIX of the disaster - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is STILL spouting this complete bullshit.

"That 'perfect storm' of a combination of catastrophes exceeded the foresight of the planners, and maybe anybody's foresight," Chertoff said.

He called the disaster "breathtaking in its surprise."

But engineers say the levees preventing this below-sea-level city from being turned into a swamp were built to withstand only Category 3 hurricanes. And officials have warned for years that a Category 4 could cause the levees to fail.

And the most recent warning? Summer 2005. With the federal government's full participation.

From the simulation, officials estimate that a storm like Hurricane Pam would:

• cause flooding that would leave 300,000 people trapped in New Orleans, many of whom would not have private transportation for evacuation;


• send evacuees to 1,000 shelters, which would likely remain open for 100 days;


• require the transfer of patients from hospitals in harm’s way to hospitals in other parts of the state;


• trigger outbreaks of tetanus, influenza, and other diseases likely to be present after a storm;


• create 30 million cubic yards of debris and 237,000 cubic yards of household hazardous waste.

As a result of the Hurricane Pam Exercise, agencies are in the process of applying what they learned to their emergency response plans. Those changes include:

• assisting people without transportation – the American Red Cross is developing a program that would ask private citizens to collect people at area churches and transport them.


• identifying more than 700 shelters and planning the locations for the remaining sites.


• outlining patient movement details and determining how to set in motion existing immunization plans.


• establishing a command structure that would employ up to 800 searchers.


• identifying existing landfills capable of accepting hazardous waste and outlining debris removal plans.

One important result of the exercise was the understanding among agencies at all levels of the seriousness of such an event. "A White House staffer was briefed on the exercise," said van Heerden. "There is now a far greater awareness in the federal government about the consequences of storm surges."

And what does Dr. van Heerden say today?

VH: Well when I explained to them that they really needed to pre-position tents for these, to build tent cities for these refugees, I was told by one of the FEMA women, very sarcastically, that "Americans don't live in tents."

RC: What are you going to say to this FEMA woman if you see her now.

VH: I'll wring her neck.

RC: I told you so, huh ?

VH: I mean to me, you know, the most awful thing is the people who have died unnecessarily.

RC: You're angry.

VH: I'm damn angry. You know I hope Congress gets in there and nails those who are responsible. And don't look in Louisana, look outside. Because in Louisiana from the Governor on down, they've done an excellent job. But somewhere else that it all fell apart.

The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world...

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