How did our discussion in class today reflect the our life during Super Storm Sandy? What comparisons can you make to Hurricane Katrina? Is it fair to say state and local governments handled the situation better? Is it fair to say the federal government learned from its mistakes?
CNN Views on Hurricane Katrina
Fox News views on Hurricane Katrina
Offer commentary based on your fellow students statements and your own opinion of the videos.
We had a great discussion today! But in all of your comparisons Hurricane Katrina was never brought up. Many you offered comparisons to 9/11, Hurricane Irene and the government's state of preparation for another event. Watch the above videos and offer your commentary on
ReplyDeletea) How Chapter 4 relates to Super Storm Sandy?
b) How Sandy compares to Katrina?
c) The role of the Federal government in emergencies should be
d) The role of the state and local governments should be...
Chapter 4's main focus is on state and local government and the powers that each possess/don't possess. It relates to Sandy because there was a lot of aid being given by both the federal and local governments. More specifically, local governments were running out of money responding to the massive amount of damage caused and had to look towards the federal government for funds.
DeleteSandy barely holds a candle to Katrina. The lack of organized aid that the people of New Orleans received was unacceptable and the effects from the amount of damage Katrina caused lingered for years. I believe the role of the federal government in emergencies should be to fund state efforts as much as possible without sending federal aid. The reasoning behind this being that well funded local measures could prove more effect that large federal organizations struggling to adapt and accommodate the specific disaster. The role of the state and local should be to take this federal funding and prepare as much as possible for future disaster so response times are fast and efficient.
For something on the level of Sandy this might be the most effect way. Considering how our conversation began with the question being asked "what are the advantages and disadvantages of state/local/federal aid", federal aid might be better for something on the level of Katrina, even though in that case it failed miserably judging by the videos.
a. Chapter 4 relates to Superstorm Sandy because the state and local governments had to step in to help people after the storm. State and local governments know more about what the people in their states need, and they can only be stopped by intrastate politics as opposed to national politics (Upstate new york might not want to foot the bill for hurricane recovery, but probably won't cause the same issues with approving aid that come with trying to pass federal aid, where it's the unaffected states against the affected ones.) However, the state may not have enough money set aside, requiring citizens to seek national aid, or help from ad hoc groups not affiliated with the government. (Reminder, because on Monday i became responsible for making sure everyone knows this: ad hoc means issue-specific. An ad hoc group is formed one particular purpose, such as cleaning up after Sandy.)
ReplyDeleteb. Katrina was smaller in diameter than Sandy, but more powerful. Katrina also hit New Orleans, which was built below sea-level with the help of levees. As a result, Katrina's damage could be considered worse than sandy's. Sandy, however, did impact the New York area, impacting the nation's financial capital. That could have more implications for the nation as a whole. also, as far as I'm aware, the federal government didn't lock people up in evacuation centers after Sandy the way they did for Katrina.
c.The role of the federal government in emergencies should be to send in relevant agencies that can help people, particularly agencies familiar with what needs to be done. They should also provide aid the states ask for. Their role should not include locking people in convention centers, preventing them from going to places that offer better help and forcing them to suffer, watch people get killed, etc. (Yes, I might be obssessed with the people locked in aspect of the government failing at helping Katrina victims. But when FOX NEWS is using images of suffering to criticize a lack of help coming from a government lead by REPUBLICAN president George Bush, you know that said government is doing things wrong.)
d.The role of the state and local governments is to help with more immediate relief. They are closer to those impacted. They have a better idea of what is needed and can get it to where it is needed faster.
The big difference between Katrina and Sandy is the result of the difference in severity of both events. Sandy was not anywhere near as destructive as Katrina and so action was taken to help, it was just not well organized and took a long time. Katrina however was such a massive and devastating event no one knew how to address or what responsibility well where. And to the point of those responsibilities, the state and local governments should be heading up most of the organization and logistics of responding. Reestablishing power grids and rebuilding houses is something they can specialize in and organize. And of course that comes with influencing and coordinating big businesses which need to get back up before the rest of the general populous can and also control a lot of the resources and funds that might be necessary for reconstruction, such as LIPA in the case of Sandy. Where the federal government comes in is funding. The state's economy has been temporarily halted, people are in need to spend a lot more to replace what was lost and many jobs are temporarily shut down due to damages. And since the state is in no position to fund itself, this is where the federal government should be stepping in and providing block grants to help rebuild. It has access to taxes from the remaining parts of the nation which are fully functional and able to pitch in. - Mike Novet
ReplyDeleteAs Kaitlin said, the role of the state and local governments after super storm sandy was to step in and help the people. Considering this event happened in mostly New York and New Jersey, other states such as Oklahoma who weren't affected do not want to give aid, which makes this a state issue. As stated in chapter 4 it is the Governor's job to make the budget within his/her state, and in a time of disaster it is up to the Governor to adjust the budget accordingly. After Sandy people were without power and gasoline for weeks on end, begging for help from the government. The main difference between this storm and Hurricane Katrina is that Katrina occurred on a much larger scale. Sandy was considered a tropical storm, not even a full hurricane like Katrina which was a category 5. As stated in the first video, the aid from the government came a day late. They went into this event too casual because they didn't have any programs set up for these kinds of situations. After 9/11 and other natural disasters one would think sufficient programs would be set up to help these people, but unfortunately the government didn't help for some time. Five days after the storm people were still without water and food during Katrina, which is completely unacceptable. The role of the federal government in emergencies should be one of immediate action. In times of crisis there may not be enough time to react to the situation. In Katrina hundreds of people died or were injured and they needed immediate assistance. The federal government should have programs and money set aside in case things like this happen again, which after seeing 9/11, Katrina, and Sandy the likeliness of this happening again is high. It is the government’s job to protect its citizens, which must be done through sufficient disaster relief programs. The role of state and local governments should also be quick assistance. After Sandy citizens of New Jersey looked to Chris Christie as a leader and asked him for help. It was his job to work on restoring New Jersey and making sure it got back to its full potential. As in New York, we too looked to our local governments begging for the power to come back on and demanding money to fix our damaged homes. Local and State governments have the job of dealing with more local matters, such as power, and being an advocate for the citizens of their state to make sure they get the proper financial compensation they deserve.
ReplyDeleteThe above comment is from Megan Musachio, I have no clue why all those random numbers came up, sorry!
ReplyDeleteChapter Four relates to Superstorm Sandy because there were many stories of public advocates during the storm--many people stood up when they saw others in need and created organizations that donated food, water, and clothing. I remember seeing a story on the news last year where a college student organized a coat drive in a local high school just days after the storm to help her community (it might have been Long Beach High School, but don't quote me on it.) The difference between Sandy and Katrina was the sheer magnitude of each storm: the entire city of New Orleans was basically under water for weeks, people were stuck in that superdome, and thousands were left without food and water. This is the reason why I was really angry last year when some were calling Sandy "our Katrina"; both storms killed people and destroyed homes, yes, but the Tri-State area's problems after Sandy paled in comparison to the sheer, inhumane misery experienced by the Katrina victims. Government aid to these natural disasters should work like so: the state and local government should exhaust its resources for aid to the disaster to a point where there is still enough money to run other governmental functions easily. When this point is reached, the federal government should supply the rest of the aid. Because the federal government should help its people in this way, it should have funds ready for this kind of disaster, as Megan said.
ReplyDeleteKatrina and Sandy are entirely different beasts. The destruction that Sandy caused was on a much greater scale than Sandy. However, the preparation and assistance given to both were far less then needed. The Federal, State and Local government should all play an active role in preparing for disasters. The local governments should have a plan to at least just situate people in emergencies. The state government to allocate funds to each local government. Both state and local governments should set aside resources that would be necessary as well. The federal government should use its appeal to the entire country to help during the crisis, if that is armed forces, aid, or money they should do it. The levels of government such as Ad hoc (as mentioned by Kaitlin) and the power of the Governor to allocate funds within his budget directly relate to the Chapter 4's text.
ReplyDeleteMuch as what everybody else has been saying, Sandy is very minor when compared to the major impact of Katrina. Nevertheless, it should have still served as a model to other regional governments as to how to prepare for emergencies. It is important for these type of emergencies to be a state, not federal power, because the state government will be more familiar with who is struggling and what funds should go to whom. However, its difficult for the NY government to fund aid for Sandy victims because of other priorities, such as federal mandates. Because of this, local governments have a huge role in Sandy relief. I remember towns holding huge food and clothing drives for those victims. We were in a vulnerable state and needed help, and the local governments aided us more personally than when compared to the state, which merely set a foundation for the help we need. -megan byrne
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone discussing Super Storm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was by far more damaging than Sandy. Moreover, people weren't prepared for Sandy because the government never advised the people on the east coast that this is going to be a devastating disaster. Also, everyone assumed that it was going to be like Hurricane Irene and nothing too serious. It is very important for state and local governments to meet together and help prepare the citizens for disasters like the one that happened last year. As Natalie said, it is important for also the local governments to tell the citizens how to prepare and if they should evacuate their homes and state governments should have funds for local governments and also donate supplies for those need. Coming from a personal experience, my family and I were affected by Super Storm Sandy; The way the situations that were taken after the storm were extremely bad. LIPA was taking there time in fixing the electricity and people lived without power for almost one month. This is the reason on why governments have to take more action and be better prepared for these types of situations
ReplyDeleteI too agree with most of the comments above. After Hurricane Katrina hit and not only damaged New Orleans but the whole country, you would think that the government would have some sort of plan or organization to do if a similar storm were to hit. Also, even though Katrina was a higher category hurricane than Sandy, one could argue that the government should have provided more aid to Sandy victims since the damages done to homes, property and businesses were more expensive. If you look at the houses that were affected by Hurricane Katrina, they do not compare to the million dollar homes on the south shore, the board walks ruined and the businesses flooded. Even though the government did provide aid to families and businesses hurt, majority of people were left with no help and had to pay for repairs out of pocket.
ReplyDeleteEveryone above seems to be saying the same thing, that Super Storm Sandy had much less damage then Hurricane Katrina and I agree. The state, local, and federal governments were all not prepared for both storms and after the storms they had a difficult time doing their job of helping the people and stepping up to help take care of the damages. Chapter 4 is about the state and local governments who have the biggest role in helping the areas affected by natural disasters like Sandy and Katrina. The state and local governments can provide more support because they know the specifics that their state need and what is needed to help the people. Sandy may have had worst damage overall then Katrina, but it affected a larger area overall. Not only did Sandy affect a larger area, but as Kaitlin said this area included New York City which is the financial capital of the nation. The role of the Federal government in emergencies should be to financially help the states in need and guide the states to help the people affected get back on their feet as quickly and efficiently as possible. The role of the states and local governments should be to make sure utilities and public authorities such as LIPA stay on track with the clean up and to make sure they are working their hardest and not taking their time when thousands of people are still without power two weeks after the storm. The state and local government should not just be watching these public authorities after natural disasters, but they should always be watching and making sure they are ready for anything that could happen to the area they serve and do not have computers from 1980 that they are relying on in 2012.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with the thought that Hurricane Katrina and Super Storm Sandy were not even on the same scale damage wise. However I would agree with Megan Byrne when she said Katrina should have showed that more preparation is necessary. Both storms showed how the disaster response the federal government has is flawed. Specifically in the case of Katrina, the major problem was the delayed response. This delayed response was mostly caused by the lack of preparation taken by the Federal, State and local government. This should have showed politicians that more preparation is necessary in case any type of disaster of this magnitude ever happened again. With Sandy it was clear that the government did not learn this. This lack of preparation can not be put on just the State or the Federal government, it is both of their faults. After Katrina all states should have a rainy day fund. This would have made it so the states would not have to rely so heavily on the Federal government for aid. This was shown when Governor Christie demanded the federal government essentially give him an unlimited amount of money for recovery. Most of the money used in recovery should have been used from the states rainy day fund. If more aid is needed the federal government should then step in after the states assessed the damage. If the state government had more control in relief, some of the biggest problems faced after Sandy could have been solved. This would have happened because the state and local governments know what needs to get fixed first. For example if the New York had control of relief, the power could have been restored faster because they would put more money to fixing the problem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with pretty much everyone that has said that these were two completely different storms, but either way, both needed to be dealt with much better then they had been. Inevitably, after a big storm, info-structure will be damaged, so planning ahead to combat these storms is crucial. Each state should have a very detailed plan of attack for dealing with storms or natural disasters. When I hear people talking about the affects of Sandy, a majority of the people are either upset they received no financial help from the government, or they were upset with LIPA's laziness and unpreparedness. Both of these complaints are valid, and both the state and federal governments didn't do a sufficient job helping the people who really needed it. Financial aid to those whose houses were destroyed should have been put into place, and the state government should have done a much better job monitoring LIPA, whose negligence could have been avoided. Katrina's devastation was much more widespread then Sandy's, and much worse. The federal government was very negligible in its duties to even provide necessary goods to the people of New Orleans, never the less actually help the city rebuild info-structure. It is the federal governments responsibility to act with speed and precision when dealing with natural disasters that are widespread. I agree with Schulte, the state governments should poor all possible available resources into relief effort without breaking the bank, all other funds and resources needed should be absorbed by the federal government. All in all, it takes a joint effort between the state and national governments to act quickly and efficiently to natural disasters such as Sandy and hurricane Katrina.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Casey concerning the cost of the damages. The areas in the Northeast hit by Super Storm Sandy contained businesses and homes worth more than those in New Orleans and the surrounding areas. That's not to say that New Orleans should not receive any federal aid, just not as much. However, I believe that it is ultimately the role of the states to provide assistance to those affected by natural disasters, such as hurricanes. The federal government should not have to act as a safety net for all the states. Local governments need to be prepared for these kinds of emergencies and should be able to handle most of the relief efforts on their own. Finally, New York as well as every other state and the federal government needs to learn from the experiences of Hurricane Katrina and Super Storm Sandy. Every level of the government needs to be prepared.
ReplyDeleteA. Chapter 4 certainly relates to Superstorm Sandy as it describes local and state governments. Compared to the federal government, the local and state governments can respond to a natural disaster such as Sandy more efficiently because the local government officials see the catastrophe first hand. Understanding various terms from Chapter 4, such as the role of the governor or ad hoc groups (as Kate mentioned) would help one evaluate the efficiency of the state and local governments' responses.
ReplyDeleteb. Hurricane Katrina was a category 3 storm while Hurricane Sandy was a category 1 storm. With that being said, Hurricane Sandy "affected many, many more people and places than Katrina,” according to Governor Cuomo. In both cases, people were thoroughly disappointed with the responses of both the state and the federal governments.
c. The federal government should provide immediate financial aid. As the area starts to get back on its feet, the federal government could ease up a bit so it's not like the whole country has raised taxes for one region.
d. The state government should use the money provided by the federal government appropriately for the specific area, similar to block grants. Once the situation begins to stabilize, I think it's up to the state governor and the local governments to work together to decide how to rework the budget and assign state taxes to prevent the disaster from occurring again and work on long term relief.
As everyone seems to agree, damage from Hurricane Katrina was on an extremely larger scale than Super Storm Sandy. The government has the responsibility of protecting its people, and in both of these instances it failed at its job. Especially after seeing the distraction of Hurricane Katrina, state and local governments should have been more prepared if a natural disaster like this storm were to occur again. As stated in chapter 4, it is the governor's job to create the state budget. More "rainy day" funds should have been put aside in the instances of both storms and maybe help and restoration would have been achieved quicker. I believe that the federal government should intervene in extreme situations like this and provide funds to help restore the region to its status before the natural disaster. The state governments also have a responsibility to their citizens, they should provide citizens with the most help possible. That would include financial help and utilities. In the example of Super Storm Sandy, LIPA and most other power companies in the New York area did a horrible job at trying to restore power. LIPA was a given a state-granted monopoly over electricity many years ago, however since the company failed its consumers i think it is time to pursue other options. I think that opening the monopoly up to a private business could potentially eliminate the problem being that competition among companies would led to a quality product and service. We need to move forward as a nation and learn from our troubled pas; being ignorant will benefit no one.
ReplyDeleteHurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy were two completely different issues. Post Katrina; New Orleans was in complete chaos. The issue was way too big for local governments to handle on their own. Not only was the damage severe, but thousands of people were literally living in the streets while many others looted big retail stores. 7 plus years later many still haven't recovered in the south because property owners can't afford to rebuild. Although not everyone in the northeast has fully recovered from Sandy, a greater deal of affluence has aided a faster recovery. New Orleans wasn't the only area affected, but it is the most notable. The city was "ready" for the storm, but the levees and pumps failed leading to mass flooding. Now, the Army Corps of Engineers (a national organization) has build a new levee system and the city has fixed the pumps which saved the city from extensive damage in Tropical Storm Lee last summer. As for New York, there was only so much that could have been done based on what is expected in our area. Chapter. Mother nature can't be defeated, damage is inevitable. Chapter 4 relates to Sandy in that local governments looked to the state and federal government for aid whether it be troops, utility crews, funding, etc. Long Islanders should get money for the state because those affected contribute the largest percent of revenue to the state along with NYC and Westchester. During natural disasters the federal government should give aid to anything that protects the "well being of the nation". State governments should be responsible for giving financial aid to those affected and the damage should be surveyed by local officials and reported to the state. At the national level it turns too much into a political issue rather than a humanitarian. Relying on federal funds turns into a waiting game, a wait that goes on too long.
ReplyDeleteHurricane Sandy relates to Chapter 4 in that it is a prime example of when state and local governments need to pool together their resources as effectively as possible in order to achieve a common goal of recovering from the disaster. As Meghana stated, state and local governments have a much greater capability of assessing the damage that was caused instead of the federal government trying to assess the damage of multiple areas. Because they have an advantage in assessing the damage, they should be able to deal out resources more quickly, but one can conclude that in neither Hurricane Sandy nor Hurricane Katrina were the state and local governments entirely effective. Upon comparing the storms, one can see the damage from Katrina was much more extensive due to the fact that these individuals were stuck in the super dome and their city was under water for weeks, while we had our water recede after a day or two (not saying our damage wasn't extensive or devastating, they were both terrible and unfortunate storms). In regards to the role of governments, I agree that state and local governments need to step in and take control of the situation, but involving the federal government for organization and capital purposes may cause state and local governments to act more efficiently now that they're under pressure. I like what Ryan had to say when he suggested the state and local governments should exhaust their resources until they still have enough to run the government. The bridge, like the reporter stated, was an easy access point for officials and the people there should have been given supplies instead of staying there with no resources whatsoever. In the end, state and local governments need to get their act together and improve their distribution of goods to those who need it badly in times of disaster.
ReplyDeletea) How Chapter 4 relates to Super Storm Sandy? Chapter 4 describes the role of the state and local governments in the lives of the American people. One topic discussed in chapter four that relates to Super Storm Sandy is the commission, which is a form of government in which several officials are elected to top positions that have both legislative and executive responsibilities. The commission was created in response to a massive hurricane in 1900 that killed thousands of people in Galveston, Texas. Ultimately, the commission was very successfully in assuming the roles of both legislators making policy and managers implementing policy. Even though over the years many cities have abandoned commissions in favor of a council-manager government, citizens should realize the possibility to create a commission to locally address problems is a viable solution.
ReplyDeleteb) How Sandy compares to Katrina? Sandy pales in comparison to Hurricane Katrina. As shown in the Fox News report, the convention center in which the New Orleans’s citizens was dirty, disgusting, and horrific. The news reporter stated that there were dead bodies on the second floor of the convention center. The news reporter also showed 10-month year-old babies in a dirty and hungry state. The impact of Katrina was shown in the convention center’s dismal bleakness. Sandy did not witness the same decrepit state that Katrina did in the convention center problem.
c) The role of the Federal government in emergencies should be to provide fast and immediate help and shelter for citizens away form the aftermath of a hurricane or superstorm. Instructing citizens to travel to a convention center in New Orleans immediately after the storm is an unwise decision. Transporting citizens to neighboring towns unaffected by the storm would be a viable option.
d) The role of the state and local governments should be to discuss the needs of the people with the federal government. Instructing the federal government what supplies and provisions are needed for the recovery would be in the hands of the state and local governments because those officials are located where the disaster occurred.
Super Storm Sandy definitely can be used as an example for Chapter 4. The local government was trying to raise moral for the people affected and also worked towards tying to help those effected in the community as the state government began trying to rebuild infrastructure. However, eventually the cost became too great and the state had to look towards the federal government for relief aid. The problem with federal relief is the difficulty in passing legislature that only effects a certain area, many politicians in states affected may be more reluctant to give significant aid. The best way to help recovery from both storms is an increase in federal aid to the states and then allowing the states to use the money as they see best fit for the communities.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie and Dan, Hurricane Sandy had more of an economic effect than Hurricane Katrina since the storm took place in America's financial capital and hit an area with a high cost of living, one higher than the areas effected by Hurricane Katrina which increases the cost of recovery. However, Hurricane Katrina was a more devastating storm with harsher impacts on the communities hit since the levees were devastated by the storm surges.
Chapter 4 relates to Superstorm Sandy because it focuses on the role of state and local governments. During Sandy, the state and local governments could see the people suffering and the damage that was done and had to act immediately. I think the response time was better during Sandy than Katrina, but still not good enough. I do not think you can say one storm was hands down worse than the other. Both storms negatively impacted millions of people and the numbers are still being calculated for the damage that was done during Superstorm Sandy. Katrina was a category 3 hurricane and as a result, caused much more deaths than Sandy (NY Times estimated 1,833 deaths). After watching the videos, I was shocked and disgusted by the lack of help for the victims. There was no food or shelter being supplied right away for many and even the newscasters had no idea when help would come. Superstorm Sandy was also devastating even though it is not characterized as a hurricane. Sandy affected a larger area than Katrina and hit the nation’s financial capital. The roles of the local, state, and federal governments were not what they needed to be for both storms. The role of the federal government should be to send government agencies with the resources needed to help that area immediately. The role of the state and local governments should be to be prepared before a natural disaster hits, so they can provide as much immediate relief as possible.
ReplyDeletei agree with what alot of people said that these were 2 completely different storms. yes Sandy was horrible and alot of people lost alot of things but 2 or 3 days later there was FEMA help. Hurricane Katarina was a category 3 hurricane i think and there were parts of the state that were underwater for months. the state and local governments werent prepared for Sandy and no one expected it to be this bad. the state government didnt have enough rainy day funds to prepare for this. LIPA is a whole problem on its own, their computers were old and not functional but billing still continued. electricians would come and tell people that there was a problem and that they would fix it. people were without power and hot water for a month. at some point the federal government must interfere and ensure that the people have the resources they need if the state government can't provide them. Chapter 4 relates because it deals with the power of state and local governments, the states could quicker assess the damage done and provide relief but relief time was still slow but better than Katrina.
ReplyDeleteThe CNN reporter hit it spot on the President failed to respond at the pace he needed to and five days after the storm just how those people were stranded, LIPA and FEMA failed to respond to our area quickly and left people in the dark. Devastation at different levels when talking about Sandy and Katrina, but both detrimental to say the least. If the federal government really cared about these damaged areas during tragedies enough than responses would be quicker and help should arrive faster whether its the government or private ownership companies. Help did arrive eventually and of course the government did not forget to make sure the residents paid what had to paid because they rather receive than give back to the people who put them where they are today. Pros and cons to both situations but the relief effort definitely could of been strengthened.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, many people were effected by these two natural disasters. It is the government’s responsibility to have plans set in case of such disasters, and both storms’ aftermath demonstrated the government’s, both at a national, state and local level, lack of immediate response. As said in both CNN and Fox News, the government was insufficient in their efforts to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It took weeks for victims to receive supplies, such as food, water, and clothing, and there was no sense of direction as to where people could go for help. As discussed in Chapter 4, state and local governments have specific responsibilities when budgeting their resources for their people. These responsibilities should include relief programs and recovery plans in case of natural disasters. The government needs to be prepared for such natural disasters in order to respond to the damage and crucial state of the victims quicker. The federal government, as well as our state and local governments, need to work together to make sure that all efforts are met after a natural disaster occurs. The federal government needs to oversee the state and local governments’ efforts in its preparations for natural disasters and its response to them. Both Katrina and Sandy were devastating, and in case of such an event to occur again, it is crucial for the government to be ready with efficient response tactics.
ReplyDelete- Jacqui Finston
The in class discussion reflected our lives during and after the wrath of Superstorm Sandy because it showed the dependency on the government during a time of mayhem. On the dark side of the spectrum, many comparisons can be made with Hurricane Katrina in that the government, especially federal came around well after necessary aid was needed. As Mr. Bachman mentioned in his comment above, the caliber of Sandy and Katrina greatly differed in that Katrina was much more catastrophic. With that being said, it is concerning that the federal government did not seem to learn from their mistakes. Similarly to Katrina, in Sandy million of dollars raised federally for Sandy relief has not been seen by victims; resources, such as gas and food also did not reach victims in their most desperate times of need. State and Local Governments I would say did handle the situation better, but I cannot say how it would have been handled if Sandy hit at the strength Katrina hit. For starters, Governers Cuomo and Christie were prevalent in the news to keep victims informed, and this goes for municipal government executives as well such as Bloomberg in regards to Southern Manhattan and its condition from the storm. Even though the power situation was a long dreaded haul, other power companies from bordering states not affected by the storm were called in and shelters were put into place and were far more organized than in New Orleans. Where state governments need to improve is the situation regarding generators for food marts and gas stations because those are vital services in times of devastation. I know from my family in Florida that experienced similar, but not as severe gas lines and food shortages during hurricane Wilma that the state of Florida mandated that X number of gas stations must have surplus gas and Y number of major food stores must have generators to keep perishable foods edible by the public; both are proactive measures so the people of Florida can be prepared in the wake of a natural disaster. I think NY and NJ should look into such enforcement. As for the federal government, they need to see what has happened after Katrina and Sandy and have a game plan for when the next disaster strikes because as the head honcho in government, they are the ultimate place where the people seek for guidance, especially aid.
ReplyDeleteSuperstorm Sandy is a great example for Chapter 4 due to the fact that in Chapter 4, the roles of the state and local governments are clearly defined. It was the local governments' and the state government's responsibility to provide aid to the people affected by the storm, whether that be through the restructuring of budgets in order to compensate for the financial impact Sandy would cost, or through the creation of a commission, like the Hurricane Sandy Commission which would be used as a preventative group that would work to examine ways to guard against similar storms in the future. If this becomes an overload of work there are entities such as the federal government, which can provide funding, and non-governmental groups, which can provide direct aid to people who were affected. As for whether or not Sandy compares to Hurricane Katrina, I'd say no. It is true that Sandy was a tragedy; homes were flooded and some burned to a crisp, there were some deaths, and everyone who was affected by the storm had their life change in some way. However, it was nothing like Katrina. Thousands of lives changed in an instant, thousands of people, including babies, were stuck in a stadium for days without sufficient food or shelter, and there was no transportation for those trapped in the stadium. One can see, merely by the intense emotions displayed by Geraldo, that Katrina was an entire different level of tragedy. It seems that both news networks agreed on one thing: the federal government seemed sluggish and very delayed in its response to Hurricane Katrina. At that time, through all the hysteria, it may have been hard to give the federal government a break, but if one observes from a present perspective, it would be very easy to say that they were not doing any job that they were not responsible for(sorry for the double negative). The federal government should be responsible for funding and moral support in the case of an emergencies like Katrina and Sandy. They should not be expected to provide direct support. It is the job of the local governments, state governments, non-governmental groups, and the community as a whole to provide direct relief to those affected and, as far as I can see, that is exactly what was done.
ReplyDeleteChapter 4 relates to both superstorm Sandy and hurricane Katrina in that at the state and local levels of the government needed to effectively use their resources to recover from these 2 natural disasters but they did not have sufficient supplies. Although the local and state governments are can determine the damage better than the federal government, they do not have the sufficient resources and therefore need help from the federal government. In both videos it was showed that the federal government was too slow with their response and 5 days after the hurricane there were still a large amount of people who did not have the resources they needed to be healthy. There was no where for the people to go and later on when people did try to go through the checkpoint they were turned away at gunpoint.
ReplyDeleteThe damage that Sandy caused pales in comparison to what hurricane Katrina did. They are still rebuilding houses and the Circle Food Store, which was a place everyone in New Orleans new of and basically used as a landmark for there city, just started reconstruction this past summer.
The role of the federal government in emergencies should be to provide shelter, help and resources to the people, while the role of the state and local government should be to assess the situation, figure out what's needed and communicate that to the federal government so sufficient resources can be supplied.
Chapter 4 relates to Superstorm Sandy because Sandy required an enormous amount of government input and exercise from the local, state, and federal level. After the storm, we saw FEMA, National Guard, County and State sponsored shelters, and town maintenance trucks all in action. While the upper parts of government dealt with the effects of the storm as a whole and how to overcome not only as a state, but also as a nation, the lower level government dealt with personally assisting the individuals affected. During this time, we saw separation of powers amongst branches as well as between levels of government; we saw state governments working hand in hand with public authorities such as LIPA and conEdison in addition to all the other ways every form of politics was involved. The day after the storm, I met with Peter King, Senator Gillibrand as Mangano and Venditto Sr. were showing them around the neighborhood, which goes to show each level at work. Just as most said above, Hurricane Katrina was much worse when looking at physical damage, fatalities, as well as government assistance. With that being said, just as Casey mentioned, much more federal assistance should have been received for Sandy relief because of the difference in property value affected between the NY-NJ area and Louisiana. Additionally, federal assistance should have been given in a different form. The people who had flood insurance before the storm did not receive any FEMA assistance and had to wait months to receive payments while the people without flood insurance received checks within a couple of days. I believe that the role of the federal government during emergencies should solely be to coordinate the direct assistance to the state governments affected rather than bypassing all lower level governments through programs like FEMA in addition to providing military support for sheltering when needed. The states should be the main decision making body, coordinating what to do with the federal money since we can see from now both Sandy and Katrina that the federal government does not conduct its emergency management strategies successfully. While the states deal with the bigger picture, local government should worry about helping the people affected as efficiently as possible. They know the wants and needs of the people much better than the state does. Furthermore, with many local governments, an immediate assistance program can be mobilized faster and has the potential to assist more people when at the local level.
ReplyDeleteChapter 4 relates to Super Storm Sandy because the chapter talks about the role of local, state and federal governments. In Super Storm Sandy we saw action taken by each government in attempt to provide aid to the people affected by the storm just like in Katrina. The difference between Sandy and Katrina is the level of destruction. Because New Orleans, Louisiana is below Sea level, the hurricane hit much harder and caused much more devastation than Super Storm Sandy did. In both situations aid came to the people, but very, very slowly. In Katrina the people were hanging around waiting for news and relief and it wasn’t coming. Supplies were reaching shelters but not fast enough. The people were uninformed and the unsanitary conditions the victims of Katrina had to deal with are unimaginable. When Sandy hit Long Island, people were out of power for weeks and many lost their homes altogether due to water damage. LIPA was very slow at restoring power which resulted in government intervention. The role federal governments should play in emergency situations is providing funds to the state and local governments who have already exhausted their emergency funds by helping the people. The federal government should also send in troops when needed to ensure everyone’s safety and help distraught people seeking guidance. The state and local governments should have emergency plans ready to go in case a disaster is to occur. It is only the state and local governments that are fully aware of what their region requires when an emergency happens. The local governments are the immediate response team, and should be implicating immediate action plans, which can then followed up by federal help as needed.
ReplyDeleteAfter both of these natural disasters, the federal and state governments were responsible for providing help to people distressed from these situations. With Katrina, the government was more disorganized than they were with Sandy. People dealing with the dilemmas brought by Katrina were receiving aid from the state and federal government a lot slower than with Sandy. The government wasn't prepared for either storm which therefore led to slower reaction times.
ReplyDeleteIn the future we need to be more prepared and have enough supplies and money set aside in case another one of these storms ever occur. During Sandy, i think that New York and New Jersey were doing the best that they could with the money that they had from revenues and funds. In emergencies, I think that the federal government should provide money but since the state and local governments are closer to the destruction, the state and local gov'ts should decide where and how to spend the money.
chapter 4 relates to hurricanes Sandy and Katrina because chapter 4 deals with the responsibilities of the government at all levels. Katrina required help from federal state and local levels because of the devastation that it brought to the city of New Orleans. The category 5 hurricane demolished the city, brought it down to the ground, and it would need massive help in order to rebuild all of the homes and other buildings. New Orleans needed much Federal Aid which they didn't immediately get, and even when it did come, it was not up to par. Even today there is still being work done down there, people are helping rebuild homes along with other volunteer activities. Sandy on the other hand, was more of a state/local issue than federal. "Rainy Day" funds should have been used and then possibly some federal aid. Most of the federal aid for sandy should have been from the government organizations such as FEMA in order to help establish stations where people could get food and water and clothing. I think the class discussion really brought that up and analyzed that it was how the governor handled the situation not the President. I believe that even though many people complained about the Sandy lack of organization that it was much better organized than Katrina. There was more awareness to what should be done when a storm like this hits, how to prioritize what gets fixed first and what people are aided fastest.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, many people were effected by these two natural disasters. It is the government’s responsibility to have plans set in case of such disasters, and both storms’ aftermath demonstrated the government’s, both at a national, state and local level, lack of immediate response. As said in both CNN and Fox News, the government was insufficient in their efforts to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It took weeks for victims to receive supplies, such as food, water, and clothing, and there was no sense of direction as to where people could go for help. As discussed in Chapter 4, state and local governments have specific responsibilities when budgeting their resources for their people. These responsibilities should include relief programs and recovery plans in case of natural disasters. The government needs to be prepared for such natural disasters in order to respond to the damage and crucial state of the victims quicker. The federal government, as well as our state and local governments, need to work together to make sure that all efforts are met after a natural disaster occurs. The federal government needs to oversee the state and local governments’ efforts in its preparations for natural disasters and its response to them. Both Katrina and Sandy were devastating, and in case of such an event to occur again, it is crucial for the government to be ready with efficient response tactics.
ReplyDeleteThe above response was made by Jackie Finston
DeleteAs was discussed in Chapter 4, state and local governments play a key role in responding to natural disasters. When a local crisis takes place, these levels of government, rather than the national government, are the first to respond. The federal government is still involved, as it acts as a coordinating authority and appropriates funds to be used to provide direct relief at the local level. However, I do not believe that the system by which the federal and local governments interact in such situations was developed fully enough when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans back in 2005. As was shown in both of the two videos, the federal government did not respond fast enough to this immense crisis, and those who were affected were not told where to go in order to receive aid. Because of this, victims ended up hanging around in filthy conditions, thereby exacerbating the situation. I agree with Tim Woods’ assertion that the federal government could have managed the situation better, and I am glad that it got its act together by the time Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast. Unlike what happened during Katrina, aid was delivered more effectively during Sandy. Local relief centers were established much more quickly and were successful in providing food and clothing to the needy. I feel that if the government as a whole is to be successful in dealing with future crises, the role of each subdivision of government needs to be clearly defined. State and local governments need to work hand-in-hand with non-governmental organizations, such as the American Red Cross, to provide direct relief, while the federal government should provide oversight and additional funding. Further, the state governments have a responsibility to ensure that rainy day funds have not been exhausted when the time comes for them to be used in emergencies. This can be accomplished through strict management of state finances. Finally, both the federal and local governments should put money into programs, such as the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, that will prepare us for future natural disasters.
ReplyDeleteChapter four relates to Super Storm Sandy because it discusses what the state governments are responsible and what the federal governments are responsible for. Also it discusses how the state raise funds which directly relates to the storm because of the lack of funds New York and New Jersey had stored for this type of emergency. Hurricane Katrina was a much more devastating storm than Sandy was but both created mass destructive in their respective areas. Katrina was mass destruction that left people without shelter or meals for days while Sandy did destroy many people’s homes not many were left starving without a roof over their head. I think that Sandy was not handled as well as it could have been but it was dealt with better than Katrina was. In both situations relief was not sent quickly enough but Katrina was just on a much larger scale. The federal government should be responsible for being an active role of the clean up, they should be supporting the state governments and taking action to help the communities recover, especially utilizing organizations like FEMA. The state governments should be responsible for preparing for these kinds of events whether they are expected or not. Rainy day funds should be set up for these types of emergencies and should be off limits no matter what until the governor declares a state of emergency. Neither the federal or state government should be entirely responsible for dealing with these types of crisis, it should be a joint effort.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Pellegrino, up above, in that the responsibility for the storm recovery effort lied with the state and local government. The federal government is responsible for providing the funds to help the people that need them, as well as urging non-governmental agencies to assist and providing oversight into what needs to be done, but I don't think that Bush can be viewed as the antagonist in this whole thing. While he could have been there a day earlier, as the first video had suggested, how much would that actually have done logistically? President Bush could have at most urged them to move faster, but he's not going to lay out strategies to hand out food and supplies at the most efficient rate possible. The President is not even in the position to know the logistics of that situation. That should be left up to the State governors and local representatives, for they know their home state much better than the President does. The State governors should have been at the FEMA Control centers that the Fox News reporter was discussing, helping to maintain a battle plan that could provide for the best care for their people. While Bush obviously did not do the best job he could have dealing with Hurricane Katrina, we cannot blame him for all of the suffering that took place. I'd say that blame belongs with mother nature.
ReplyDeleteIn comparison with Hurricane Sandy, I don't know if you could say it was the same level of disaster. While Sandy was obviously devastating to thousands who lost their homes, thousands more people lost their lives in Katrina, and while people still had to find shelter during Sandy, during Katrina, as shown in the second report, people were literally trapped within the confines of Louisiana. The government would not allow them to leave, most likely for a simple logistical reason, without taking into consideration the suffering that is going on inside the city boundaries.
I think what we got most out of the in-class discussion was just how much goes into these kinds of efforts. There are so many people, in charge of so many different things, that it's not difficult to imagine how hard of a business plan it is to maintain, especially during such a major crisis as a natural disaster on the level of Katrina or Sandy. With so many people involved and so many strings attached, it must be hard for one person, whether it be the Governor or the President, to keep control over it all. And I think we need to think about that when these types of things happen, and instead of blaming the guy on top, try to help each other as a community first
Chapter four’s main focus is to explain the duties of state and local governments, and their responsibilities to help their citizens. During a natural disaster the governor should have more influence over relief efforts; neither Sandy nor Katrina were doomsday scenarios impacting the entire country. It is a governor’s responsibility to delegate recovery efforts and responsibility, as well as distribute rainy-day funds and federal aid accordingly. Meanwhile local governments can provide much more personal care in times of need because they are more thickly spread, representing the smallest number of people. Sandy cannot even compare with Katrina, Katrina was a much more powerful storm and the lack of leadership during critical response efforts following the storm was detrimental to the relief effort. The Federal government should continue to do their jobs and keep the country running in an orderly fashion, the only thing out of the ordinary that they should do is put together a relief bill, giving money to the states in need. It is not the president’s responsibility to fix the problem himself, executive authority should be given by the governors involved, and they should be the ones distributing immediate economic relief. It is up to local government to provide tangible relief, in the form of shelters, clothing drives, and other small scale projects to help those in need. Once the impacted area has gotten back on its feet, local governments should be given appropriate state and federal funds to help rebuild damaged infrastructure, and FEMA should begin giving out money to home owners.
ReplyDeleteChris
ReplyDeleteThe discussion in class today accurately represented my experience during sandy last year. State and local politics acted fairly quickly to try and positively affect the most people as possible, whether it be restoring power, bringing in national aide, or providing money for those who lost some or everything. Compared to Katrina this storm was nothing. When it hit it was barely a category 1, Katrina was a category 4, bringing about more damage and destruction. The sate and local government was slower to respond, especially in the months following the storm. If you visit parts of New Orleans, you will still total destruction, and signs of abandonment. After the storm, some even moved to different parts of the country and just gave up. Here on LI there are still many affected, but we are on the steady road to recovery.
I agree with the previous comments that superstorm Sandy and hurricane Katrina are two completely different storms. Although both caused mass destruction throughout a widespread area I feel that they cannot be compared. Sandy's path of destruction was widespread throughout two states, and the devastation affected millions of people. Katrina also affected a large area, but it was less populated than the areas affected by Sandy, and less people were left homeless. Although many more people were affected during Sandy, the state and local governments were not prepared to handle Katrina and the devastation was felt for years to come. During Sandy, the local and state governments could have done a better job utilizing their rainy day funds, but in a couple of months a lot of the major attraction areas affected were quickly rebuilt for the following summer. The people of Katrina were left stranded for months without even food or water to help them out, making the recovery process much more long lasting. Both local and state governments did a poor job in helping their community, and they relied on federal help such as F.E.M.A to get them back on their feet. The state and local governments should have a better plan for when a disaster strikes, only relying on the federal government for assistance such as the national guard and some money, not most of it. This goes back to the balance of power between the governments in chapter 4 because each government needs to know their roles in major disasters and not have to rely on one antler to help pick up the pieces.
ReplyDelete-Kristina Giordano
please excuse my tardiness but although I wasn't present for the class discussion I would say both State and National government handled Hurricane sandy much better than Katrina. Although Sandy affected us personally there is a large disparity between damage costs and lives lost between the two storms. However I will acknowledge the State and Local government did not do their best when responding to Sandy in regards to LIPA as well as other responsibilities held to provide those who needed assistance with it as quickly as possible. Overall I feel we cant compare the two on account of different factors that play into the recovery efforts and "importance" of where each storm occurred but the government did not do the best job possible with both storms.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these storms were catastrophes, however, I think that the state and local government could have handled Hurricane Sandy's aftermath, as well as Katrina's aftermath much better. It is the governor's job to ensure that the citizens are getting what they need as fast as they can. Even though much was going on in both scenarios, some people felt that they were left helpless, and no citizen should ever feel that way and the governor's duty is to make sure that everyone is helped, and help is being given when need be. Many people were not getting the insurance they needed to obtain in order to regain a smidge of their stability, and in the late October weather, people were left with no electricity or heat to help themselves. Outside people were taking control of the monetary resources needed and the media and other people set up outside organizations to fundraise money for both hurricane survivors. The governors could have done much more in their power to get federal aid and help all those that needed it most.
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ReplyDeleteThe discussion in class today accurately represented my experience during sandy last year. State and local politics acted fairly quickly to try and positively affect the most people as possible, whether it be restoring power, bringing in national aide, or providing money for those who lost some or everything. Compared to Katrina this storm was nothing. When it hit it was barely a category
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