Political and social Effects
Many were upset to find out that in 2005, before the storm, the Corps of Engineers' request for $22.5 million to strengthen the Levees and Walls Protecting New Orleans was turned down and the US Congress only approved $5.5 million. People were upset that the damage in New Orleans could have been less if the government listened. |
Many also critiqued the government on how it handled the evacuations. Some realized that mass evacuation was the biggest population displacement since the dust bowl, but others were upset that, despite ordering an evacuation, sufficient provisions to evacuate the poor, the homeless, the elderly, and the non-car households were nonexistent. In fact, many in nursing homes, hospitals, and group homes were left to die despite “having” a predetermined evacuation plan. School Buses and Greyhound Buses were asked to come from farther inland cities and help evacuate the mass amount of people, yet over 10% of the people were not able to leave before the storm.
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As the media showed more graphic pictures on TV influencing the citizens, citizens not only critiqued the government for its lack of preparation, but also for its ability to handle the aftermath. Many people felt that the response to help the survivors with food, water, and shelter was extremely slow. They were upset that the government didn't help those who became victims of hunger, exhaustion, thirst, unsanitary conditions, and violence for five days after the storm. Some believed the reason the government was slow was because it was racist against the poor region with its primarily African American population. Altogether, the government’s slow response was considered a “national disgrace.”
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