Katrina tapes being played on NPR? Is anyone hearing this?

[DeepModem Mom]

DeepModem Dad says he just listened on NPR to some new tapes of conversations among officials during the Katrina crisis. He just heard a brief part of them, but said it sounds like the state/local officials come off very well, and the failure of FEMA clear. Can anyone who heard these tapes give us a report?

ON EDIT: These tapes appear to be explosive Thanks to other DUers for this link -- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4859329. The story is posted in LBN.

[bunny planet]

1. Kos has something up about this now. Maybe they've got more details.

I haven't checked it yet.

[Pirate Smile]

2. Diary on Daily Kos on this:

"Taped Conversations Released to NPR of Pre-planning and After Requests for Help: Katrina
by kishik
Fri Sep 23rd, 2005 at 05:10:24 PDT
I heard this on NPR this morning

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4859329

"Morning Edition, September 23, 2005 · In the days before Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, officials in local, state and federal governments held a series of telephone conference calls aimed at coordinating their responses to the storm. The sessions were recorded by Walter Maestri, emergency manager for Jefferson Parish, who shared them with NPR."

kishik's diary :: ::
"In tapes of the disaster planning meetings, emergency managers and civic officials evinced a growing concern with the strengthening hurricane's possible effects -- and after the storm made landfall, a growing frustration with the aid effort mounted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"As emergency preparations gave way to coordinated actions and pleas for equipment, the recorded calls depict an emergency command center in Baton Rouge that became a center of frenzied activity."

It seems that Walter Maestri shared these tapes with NPR to show how the local governments were in constant contact (to no avail) with Jeff Smith, deputy director of Louisiana's Office of Emergency Preparedness, who in turn was the liaison with FEMA.

"On the morning of Monday, Sept. 5, with Katrina making its way inland from the Gulf Coast, Maestri said on the call, "Things are collapsing." And questions persisted over who was in charge: "So FEMA will coordinate emergency supplies?" Maestri asked. Soon after, communications were lost, and the next conference call took place nearly two weeks later.

"The calls could play a role in any investigation -- whether by the White House or by Congress -- into why the initial response to Katrina failed to match the scale of the hurricane's impact on the region."

While I feel there are plenty who will take the blame (and many who will continue to deny it) for how governments on all levels failed when it came to Katrina, these tapes reflect how local government was in contact in expressing their concerns and what they saw as impact issues in executing various proposed plans.

Of course - PRE-preparedness was the key here... and no one seemed to either have a plan in place or that plan was faulty or impractical considering the magnitude of this storm."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/23/81024/7458

[QuettaKid]

3. link to story here....

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4859329

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Thanks, Pirate Smile! I think you should post this in a new thread.

And I think the existence of the tapes should qualify as LBN?

[KittyWampus]

7. thank you so much for copying that over to here- NOMINATED!

i hope this makes DU's front page.

[DeepModem Mom]

14. Update: I posted over on LBN. Hope it stays there! Thanks again!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. It was a good NPR report. Tapes are on the NPR site

NPR had one of their top reporters handle it. There are "hours" of tapes. I don't know how many hours are on the NPR site, but it means the tapes have been copied.

The report shows that before Hurricane Rita the local authorities were organizing evacuations and discussing how not to get gridlocked jamups. It also shows that FEMA was already being a roadblock and no help before the storm.

Floodgate can't be denied.

[electropop]

21. This is going to hurt.

Just as Bushitler thought he'd get a little propaganda boost from Rita, solid evidence that he's been lying about his earlier screwups.

Then tomorrow, the mass protest.

Then Fitzgerald's report/indictments.

And the Abramoff scandal is picking off top Pukes one by one all over town.

Hard times ahead for the regime.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

6. Yes - I heard the story this AM and posted it here

It sank like a stone. Lets try again. Because this is HUGH. Recommended for Greatest

[DeepModem Mom]

8. This is big, indeed! nt

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

9. Kick n/t

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

10. One more vote needed !!

Lets get this the exposure it needs

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

11. Tapes of Planning Sessions for NOLA

"Emergency Manager Walter Maestri of Jefferson Parish is one official who became frustrated with the federal response to Katrina in the conference calls.
Maestri recorded the emergency response calls beginning with an Aug. 26 telephone conference "
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=48...

[Pepper32]

18. "We're sorry, the page you requested is unavailable."

Good thing I saved it 5 minutes ago. :)

[DeepModem Mom]

22. I think the link as posted in the OP is still working. Give it a try. nt

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. Yes, Nagin called on Saturday AM

to ask about starting evacuations and he was told to wait 3 more hours.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

13. Hospitals needed generators

FEMA promised them. They never arrived.

[Mr_Spock]

15. I heard it. "Where are those generators ... FEMA was touting..."

Says it all doesn't in?

[DeepModem Mom]

16. It could not be clearer. nt

[Pirate Smile]

20. I haven't listened yet (I'm still in the CRAZY morning time before school

starts) but does it show FEMA to be incompetent, the state Government, both or what?

[DeepModem Mom]

24. I'm getting ready for a trip and haven't listened either!

Hubby says the part he heard indicates state and local officials asked for what was needed, and FEMA didn't deliver. Specifically, generators for hospitals. Pretty damning.

[Kolesar]

19. "Now is not the time for RHETORIC"

"Oh, so sorry to have pointed out your f-up"
One of these is an actual quote.

[Mr_Spock]

23. I could tell the guy on the other end was a RW appologist

He will have to live with his lack of humanity.

[malta blue]

17. I heard some this morning on the way to work.

Apparently, there are hours of tape at the NPR website. And yes, the local officials came off very well, and FEMA sounded like blubbering idiots.

[rainbow4321]

25. I **hope** it is police scanner/FEMA transmissions

that are getting played.

Those who read the transcribed scanner feed threads here on DU post-Katrina saw/heard the confused, disorganized stuff that was going on, despite what the MSM was reporting. The local first responders/emergency workers didn't have much leadership to turn to when it came to FEMA. Esp. St Bernard County...repeatedly (after 48 hrs of not getting their initial orders, etc) having to ask for vaccines, antibiotics, generators, help getting their replacement police cars delivered..and this was WELL after the military was there.

The transmissions don't lie...they need to be used when/if FEMA is ever held accountable. Shouldn't be that hard to find the people on the transmissions, they usually said their names.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

27. It is a recording (unauthorized IRRC) of the

conference calls. At the beginning of each conf call is a "roll call" of who is participating.

I heard the story while getting ready for work this AM. Will have to listen to more later

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

26. New Link to Story on NPR Website

http://www.npr.org/templates/topics/topic.php?topicId=1001

[mom cat]

28. Maestry is a true hero in all of this and a savy dude too! I hope that he

has made lots of duplicates! Nominated, kicked and thoroughly enjoyed!