保护居民和财产的预防性措施根本没能落到实处，尽管联邦紧急措施署曾经在2001年亲自认定：袭击新奥尔良的飓风将是美国所面临的三大“最现实、最悲惨的灾难”之一。
Preventive measures to protect people and property were not carried out despite FEMA’s own conclusion in 2001 that a major hurricane hitting New Orleans was one of the three “likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country.”