Like water or fire, hurricane is merciless. Katrina swept southeast America on August 29, causing appalling life and property losses. The city of New Orleans, in particular, was drowned instantly in a vast expanse of water, with 200,000 out of the no more than 500,000 residents homeless. The mayor feared a death toll over 10,000 and an American survey company predicted an economic loss over one trillion US dollars.

The whole world was shocked while expressing its deep sympathy. Foreigners wonder why America, who has the most advanced technology and equipment, should allow such a disaster to happen after all; while Americans themselves wonder why things turned out so bad.

Public opinion largely attributed this "unexpected" event to three reasons:

First, relaxed vigilance and negligence of early warning.

American scientists warned in recent years repeatedly the risk of dyke collapse in New Orleans. The Times-Picayune of New Orleans described in a long article as early as in 2002 the scene in this city, if flooded: 200,000 or more residents would be unwilling, or unable, to follow government evacuation order; thousands would die and people take shelter in Superdome. Roads would be flooded and rescuers have no access to the city proper.

Regrettably, the warning failed to attract the attention of related authorities. Although the federal and local governments conducted some anti-wind drills, they have never formulated an emergency plan against hurricane above level 4 or dyke collapse. As a result, the terrible prediction is confirmed.

Second, slow reaction and rescue work.

As a matter of fact, all possible disastrous results and emergency plans have been in experts' computers. However, since related sides failed to prepare enough transport vehicles for evacuation, the rich left earlier by themselves but the poor were left behind. Of course, it also has something to do with the unhurried life style in this "birth place of Jazz" and "city of leisure".

Third, new problem with the emergency mechanism. Sudden natural disasters had been managed by an independent institution, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and it had been doing a fairly good job. But after the "September 11" event, FEMA was brought under the administration of the newly established Department of Homeland Security, a body taking anti-terrorism as its priority. The function of FEMA was thus greatly weakened, which, in the eyes of experts, is a serious mistake. In their opinion, FEMA had a lower position under the Department and developed bureaucracy, and the Department has put all its attention and most funds on guarding terrorism.

"Unexpected", "too sudden", "inadequate vigilance and rescue", all these plus the life and property losses no less than that of "September 11" have made Democrats compare the catastrophe to the "September 11" event. The first topic of discussion after the Congress resumed this week is the hurricane. Some senior Democrat senators not only suggested a pubic hearing on the government behavior during the disaster, but demanded the Congress to set up an investigation committee similar to that for the "September 11" attack to probe into government acts upon the event, because "America is totally unprepared for the hurricane."

Whether the hurricane strike will lead to American political struggles as the "September 11" did, the lessons and warning drawn from it are really comparable to that of the latter.

By People's Daily Online