House and White House release Katrina findings

Citation

(2006), "House and White House release Katrina findings", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 15 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2006.07315dab.007

House and White House release Katrina findings

In response to a tragedy such as Hurricane Katrina there are likely to be a number of reports that examine what went wrong and what went right and recommend how things can be done better next time. Two of the most anticipated of these reports were released in February.

A Failure of Initiative: The Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina – following Hurricane Katrina, the US House of Representatives created a committee charged with conducting a full and complete investigation and study regarding:

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  the development, coordination, and execution by local, state, and federal authorities of emergency response plans and other activities in preparation for Hurricane Katrina; and

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  the local, state, and federal government response to Hurricane Katrina.

This document presents the committee's findings. The full report (H. Rpt. 109-377, 569 pp., $32.00) and a supplementary report and document annex (H. Rpt. 109-396, 496 pp., $40.00) are available free online at: www.access.gpo.gov/congress/house/house07cr109.html,. Transcripts of the committee's hearings are available at: www.katrina.house.gov/

The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned – this report from the White House is the result of a presidential order for a comprehensive review of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. The report identifies deficiencies in the federal government's response and lays the groundwork for transforming how the USA – from every level of government to the private sector to individual citizens and communities – handles emergency preparedness and response. Specifically, it identifies 17 lessons learned; makes 125 recommendations for policy makers and emergency managers, which have been reviewed by relevant federal departments and agencies; and includes 11 critical actions to be completed before June 1, 2006, the first day of the 2006 hurricane season. The full report (228 pp., $27.00) is available free online at: www.whitehouse.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned.pdf

Copies of all three documents are available in any federal depository library and can be purchased from the US Government Bookstore, Superintendent of Documents, PO Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954; (202) 512-1800, (866) 512-1800; bookstore.gpo.gov/