I was a kid when Hurricane Agnes destroyed my home and my community back in 1972. Yet I remember enough about that catastrophe to see stark differences between that disaster and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
On the face of it, the two events were quite similar. The hurricane had blown through with minimal wind damage. Everyone thought it was over. However, the next day or so, the Susquehanna River rose, overflowing its banks and causing massive flooding of Wilkes-Barre and the surrounding areas.
The difference: the Army Corps of Engineers already had a presence in the area. They tried for two days to sandbag the area to prevent flooding. When the attempt proved futile and the river broke through the levees and flooded the area, the National Guard was already there to evacuate people to safety. This is an economically depressed area with a very high percentage of elderly folks. It is also a staunchly Democratic area, and Nixon was president at the time.
Before the flood waters had completely receded, there were federal officials in the area helping people to sign up for interest-free loans to help them rebuild. Everyone who wanted one got a mobile home to live in, delivered to their backyard, so they had a decent place to eat, sleep, and shower while they were rebuilding their homes.
Did I mention this was a Republican administration and the local government was mostly Democratic? Hurricane Agnes took a total of 43 lives, mostly very sick and elderly people who couldn't survive the stress. As far as I know, no one drowned. No one who wanted to be rescued was left behind.
So when I hear Bush apologists say they couldn't anticipate the devastation, that it was all the fault of local officials, I say BULLSHIT!