8/3/2019 Int'l Crisis Response Journal Book Review

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CRISIS|RESPONSE+60 VOL 7 ISSUE 3

book reviewsDeadly Indifference: The Perfect (Political) Storm

IN HIS BOOK THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF

FEMA, Michael Brown, describes the various

types of indifference which conspired

to create the perfect storm of catastrophe

in New Orleans before,

during and after Hurricane

Katrina (see CRJ 3:1),

writes Emily Hough.Take the indifference of

neglect and over-familiarity

with ones environment,

often exacerbated by

the complicity of city

leaders when they

ignore risk and allow

development in unsuitable

or hazardous areas.

But here, there is also a

conflict between fighting

terrorism and mitigating

natural risks: a shift of

focus from natural hazard

preparation and mitigation

towards the fear of extremists,

had profound implications

on the city of New Orleans.

The author points out

that the US Army Corps of

Engineers had known for years

that foundations of the levees

was substandard; maintenance

had been recommended and delayed by

authorities. Money that should have been spent

on assessing and repairs was used elsewhere.

And, in any event, the levees were only designed

to protect against a Category 3 hurricane. We

always knew New Orleans could turn into a

fishbowl if the levees failed, says Brown.

The indifference of bureaucracy appears to

be a consequence of the vigorous response

to the terrorist threat af ter September 11,

2001, and Brown clearly has no love for

the Department of Homeland Security

(DHS), calling it a monstrosity.

BastardisationThe bastardisation of FEMAs mission, theevisceration of its budget and the shifting

of its personnel had created an air of

tension, disillusionment and distrust of the

administrations reorganisation plans, he

says. Before FEMAs integration into the DHS,

the approach was simple. The director of

FEMA would ask for something and it would

be done; if he had a question, he would ask

the President. After the creation of the DHS,

a more cumbersome chain of command

was introduced. Brown is scathing: The

DHS had become a bureaucratic alchemists

dream where human lives were turned into

pieces of paper that

documented human suffering

instead of alleviating

it as micromanaging

sorcerers carefully turnedgold into dross.

He says that everywhere

he turned while directing

the emergency response

to Katrina, he encountered

people outside of FEMA, but

within the DHS, who did not

have experience or culture

of getting things done in a

disaster. This is illustrated

by what happened after

Brown had negotiated with

airlines to evacuate people

from the Superdome and

the convention centre.

When he asked for a

progress update, he was

informed that negotiations

were in place with the

Transportation Security

Administration as to

how best to screen the

evacuees. The authors frustration is clear; the

object was not to start screening and arresting

people, but to get them on a plane and moved

to safety. The issue was resolved eventually, but

caused a further delay in helping to relieve the

suffering of people trapped in hellish conditions.

Political indifference and what Brown terms

Not In My Best Interest (NIMBI) also played

a primary role in the disaster. He is not shy of

naming individuals he holds responsible for

undermining FEMAs response, accusing them

of wanting photo opportunities, shifting blame

and being worried about their own personal

image and political futures, rather than trying to

understand the situation faced on the ground.

When evacuations were advised by FEMA,

procrastination and indecision fuelled by fear

took hold; when the evacuations were ordered,

it was too late. Local leaders delayed acting

to avoid voter backlash in case events changed

at the last minute and constituents questioned

their decisions; state leaders with exhausted

regional resources tried to take credit for

whatever worked while blaming others for any

failures; members of Congress pretended that

photo ops at the disaster site actually meantthey were involved with recovery... Later, he

adds: The immediate danger was over and we

were working in ways that revealed the stupidity,

greed, aggression or insensitivity of too many

people in too many high level positions.

Brown points out that for many politicians

removed one step from the disaster, the events

were seen as a time to win new votes. Indeed,

some appear to have been indifferent to the

effects of their actions on the disaster.

Unsurprisingly, the media comes under

scrutiny, prompting Brown to reflect:

Sometimes I think that if we were to

experience Bible stories in contemporary

times, one of the plagues Moses would

visit upon Pharaoh would be a scourge of

politicians accompanied by a swarm of media

darlings. Their presence would spread false

expectations, misery and heartbreak throughout

the land. Oh, wait, maybe weare living in a

contemporary version of Biblical times.

Frustrations with the media revolve around

reporting out of context, giving voice to rumours

that were not cross-checked and wanting

to go out on search and rescue missions

with the rescuers, not understanding that

places taken by media in boats were places

being denied to those in need of rescue.

After reading this analysis and perspective

of what went wrong and what went right

or, perhaps more importantly, what was

perceived to have gone wrong or right the

whole episode remains as murky as the

toxic waters that overwhelmed the city.

Anyone living in an area tha t might be

affected by a similar disaster must hope and

pray for (and should be voting for) officials

and leaders who are brave enough to takeunpalatable political decisions which are

right for the community, who are decisive

enough to take command and show leadership

in a crisis, and who eschew self-serving

political manoeuvring and cynical behaviour

when peoples lives are being destroyed.

Deadly Indifference: The Perfect Political

Storm Hurricane Katrina, the Bush White

House and Beyond by Michael D Brown and

Ted Schwarz, is published by Taylor Trade

Publishing; ISBN 978168794856

human lives were turned

into pieces of paper that

documented human suffering

instead of alleviating it, as

micromanaging sorcerers carefully

turned gold into dross