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 According to a new report by the non-profit Institute for Southern Studies, many of the problems exposed in the federal response to Katrina have yet to be addressed in Washington. The report, ‘Learning from Katrina: Lessons from Five Years of Recovery and Renewal in the Gulf Coast’, maintains that key flaws in federal policy will stall Gulf Coast rebuilding and put lives at risk in future disasters unless the President and Congress take action.
The report says that the following critical issues still need addressing:
• Poor disaster planning and response put thousands of Gulf residents in harm's way before, during and after Katrina. But after months of delays, FEMA is just now releasing its new disaster framework: and it still omits internationally recognized standards for protecting storm victims.
• Waste, fraud and abuse by private contractors hurt Katrina relief and recovery efforts and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Despite widespread calls for contracting reform, federal officials have yet to beef up contractor investigations and oversight that can prevent future scandals.
• While most Gulf communities have turned the corner, the recovery remains fragile and uneven. Problems with affordable housing, schools and health care access are still big obstacles, and have been exacerbated by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike and the BP oil disaster.
The report is available here (PDF).
•Date: 1st Sept 2010 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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