The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina:Lessons Learned

The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned

Instructions | About this Database | List of Lessons Learned  

Table of Contents

Introduction | Forward | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Appendices

Introduction

- Letter to the President from Frances Fragos Townsend

Foreward

Foreword

- What Went Wrong

- Scope & Methodology

- Conclusion

Chapter One: Katrina in Perspective

- Katrina in Perspective

- Hurricane Katrina Among Other Disasters

- Measuring Hurricane Katrina: The Path of Destruction

- Measuring the Immeasurable: The Human Toll

Chapter Two: National Preparedness - A Primer

- National Preparedness - A Primer

- Federalism

- Disaster Response Structure

- The National Incident Management System

- The National Response Plan

- What Triggers the NRP

- NRP Concept of Operations

- Federal Emergency Management Agency

- Planning a Proactive Federal Response

- Moving Forward

Chapter Three: Hurricane Katrina - Pre-Landfall

- Hurricane Katrina - Pre-Landfall

- Hurricane Season Forecast

- Katrina's Beginnings

- Katrina Enters The Gulf Of Mexico

- The Storm Approaches

Chapter Four: A Week of Crisis (August 29-September 5)

- A Week of Crisis (August 29 - September 5)

- Landfall

- Disaster in the Gulf Coast

- New Orleans

- Hurricane Katrina’s Impact on State and Local Response

- Search and Rescue

- Post-Landfall Evacuations in New Orleans

- Public Safety and Security

- Federal Incident Management

. Military Assistance

. Federal Communications Assistance

- Federal Resource Challenges

. Offers of Charitable Assistance

- Federal Health and Medical Support

- From response to Recovery - Federal Coordination

- Meeting Victims’ Needs

- Conclusion

Chapter Five: Lessons Learned

- Lessons Learned

- Critical Challenge: National Preparedness

- Critical Challenge: Integrated Use of Military Capabilities

- Critical Challenge: Communications

- Critical Challenge: Logistics and Evacuation

- Critical Challenge: Search and Rescue

- Critical Challenge: Public Safety and Security

- Critical Challenge: Public Health and Medical Support

- Critical Challenge: Human Services

- Critical Challenge: Mass Care and Housing

- Critical Challenge: Public Communications

- Critical Challenge: Critical Infrastructure and Impact Assessment

- Critical Challenge: Environmental Hazards and Debris Removal

- Critical Challenge: Managing Offers of Foreign Assistance & Inquiries Regarding

- Critical Challenge: Non-governmental Aid

Chapter Six: Transforming National Preparedness

- Transforming National Preparedness

- A National Preparedness System

- A Preparedness Vision

- The Federal Government’s Role in the “National” System

- Federal Government Transformation: Building Operational Capability

- The Department of Homeland Security

- Managing the Interagency Process in Homeland Security Response

- Operational Capabilities in Other Federal Departments/Agencies

- Homeland Security Training, Education, and Exercising

- Assessments, Lessons Learned, and Corrective Actions

- The Role of Congress

- How Much is Enough?

- Envisioning a National Preparedness System

- Creating a Culture of Preparedness

- Future Challenges

- Initiative

- Citizen Preparedness

- Other Homeland Security Stakeholders and Preparedness

- The Role of Each Level of Government in a Culture of Preparedness

- Fostering Transformation

Chapter Seven: Epilogue

- Epilogue

Appendices

- Appendix A – Recommendations

1. National Preparedness (Recommendations 1 – 21)

2. Integrated Use of Military Capabilities (Recommendations 22 – 32)

3. Communications (Recommendations 33 – 37)

4. Logistics and Evacuation (Recommendations 38 – 43)

5. Search and Rescue (Recommendations 44 – 48)

6. Public Safety and Security (Recommendations 49 – 56)

7. Public Health and Medical Support (Recommendations 57 – 62)

8. Human Services (Recommendations 63 – 67)

9. Mass Care and Housing (Recommendations 68 – 72)

10. Public Communications (Recommendations 73 – 77)

11. Critical Infrastructure and Impact Assessment (Recommendations 78 – 85)

12. Environmental Hazards and Debris Removal (Recommendations 86 – 88)

13. Foreign Assistance (Recommendations 89 – 97)

14. Non-Governmental Aid (Recommendations 98 – 103)

15. Training, Exercises, and Lessons Learned (Recommendations 104 – 111)

16. Homeland Security Professional Development & Education (Recommendations 112 – 118)

17. Citizen and Community Preparedness (Recommendations 119 – 125)

- Appendix B – What Went Right

- What Went Right

- Preparation and Response to Katrina

- Non-governmental Organizations

- State Governments Support Other Critical Services

- Local Officials

- Private Sector Organizations

- Department of Homeland Security

- Department of Defense

- Department of Justice

- Department of Health and Human Services

- Department of Energy

- Department of Transportation

- Department of Housing and Urban Development

- Department of Agriculture

- Department of Commerce

- Department of the Interior

- Department of Labor

- Department of Education

- Department of State

- Department of the Treasury

- The Department of Veterans Affairs

- Environmental Protection Agency

- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

- Federal Communications Commission

- Office of Management and Budget

Appendix C – List of Acronyms

Appendix D – Staff Page

Appendix E – Endnotes

- Foreward

- Chapter One: Katrina in Perspective

- Chapter Two: National Preparedness — A Primer

- Chapter Three: Hurricane Katrina — Pre-Landfall

- Chapter Four: A Week of Crisis — August 29 – September 5

- Chapter Five: Lessons Learned

- Chapter Six: Transforming National Preparedness

- Appendix B – What Went Right