Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina

Lessons Learned
from Hurricane Katrina
LTG Ret .Russel L. Honoré
CDR JTF-Katrina
US Population Concentrations
60%
54%
42%
42% of US Population Lives within 20 miles of Ocean
Coastline, Mississippi River & Great Lakes – a
“target rich” environment!
Data based on 2003 US Census Data
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Decision Superiority
See First
Understand First
Act First
Russel L. Honoré, LTG, U.S. Army
russel.honore@gmail.com
3
Who
ELSE
Needs to Know?
Russel L. Honoré, LTG, U.S. Army
russel.honore@gmail.com
The US Army Corps of Engineers had 800 giant
sandbags weighing 6,000 to 15,000 pounds on hand
just in case, and ordered 2,500 more to shore up low
spots and plug any new breaches.
Capacity to Confront
a Catastrophic Disaster
Capability
Local
Authority
State
Federal
DOD
Private
Industry
Land
Air
Sea/Water
Satellite
Communications
Information
Management
500,000 to 1,000,000 Citizens
Russel L. Honoré, LTG, U.S. Army
russel.honore@gmail.com
Search and Rescue
Dynamic Data Requirements Crossing Domains
STATE AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
PROVIDED KEY GIS DATA DURING
KATRINA
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Heroes Rise
Dr. Juliette Saussy, Director of Emergency Services for
the City of New Orleans, supervised the medical triage
efforts at the Convention Center, evacuating over 19,000
patients in one day
Leadership During Crisis
(1 of 2)
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Arriving on the scene in a disaster – must be the calm in the storm.
Work through the chaos and confusion – don’t add to it.
Can’t do everything at once – establish a Priority of Work.
Look for quick wins.
In a disaster, you are the priority – if you ask for it, you’ll get it.
Need decision superiority – See first, Understand first, Act first.
Collaboration is key – everybody’s got a boss – unity of effort, not unity
of command.
Who else needs to know?
Public information critical in a disaster situation – poor communications.
Must give media access – if you’re not speaking, someone else will speak
for you.
Stay connected with those responsible – Mayor, Governor, President,
Military Agencies.
Track what key leaders are saying to avoid contradictions.
Deal with the misinformation put out by others.
Russel L. Honoré, LTG, U.S. Army
russel.honore@gmail.com
Leadership During Crisis
(2 of 2)
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See first, understand first, act first.
In crisis first report is usually wrong.
Invest yourself personally in your subordinates success.
Ability to listen to bad news...don't shoot the messenger.
Real art of leadership is getting people to willingly follow you.
Who else needs to know? Collaboration.
Listen, you have 2 ears and 1 mouth, Do two times more listening.
Leader can't just be an observer, must be a player.
Leader takes responsibility for what happens - good, bad, or ugly.
Your people are #1.
– QOL - Health
– Security
Life time Learner.
Best case / worst case.
Be aware of quicker, better, faster, cheaper.
Russel L. Honoré, LTG, U.S. Army
russel.honore@gmail.com
Creating A Culture Of Preparedness
Creating a Culture of Preparedness
LEFT
Recover
RIGHT
Prepared?
Respond
Mitigate?
Money
Spent on Preparedness
Presidential
Declaration
WHAT IT SHOULD BE
WHAT IT IS
POLITICAL
HEALTH
STAFFORD
ACT
LOCAL
EDUCATION
ECONOMIC
Disaster
Strikes
GOVERNMENT
FEDERAL
HOME
STATE
DIPLOMATIC
National Preparedness Plan? (NPP)
Russel L. Honoré, LTG, U.S. Army
GOVERNANCE
ECONOMY
ACT
HELMSBIDEN ACT
National Response Framework
russel.honore@gmail.com
Search and Rescue
Heroes Rise
Heroes Rise
Questions?
Russel L. Honoré, LTG, U.S. Army
russel.honore@gmail.com