A Purdue University political science professor and disaster recovery expert says Hoosiers and most Americans are not prepared for a major disaster like Hurricane Katrina.
Daniel Aldrich lived in New Orleans in 2005 and was encouraged by a neighbor to leave the are when Katrina hit on this day 8 years ago. Aldrich has studied the disaster from all angles since that time and determined the number one cause that effected all other aspects of the disaster was the lack of preparation.
Aldrich says all levels of government were not prepared and the general public wasn‘t prepared either. An when it comes to any future disasters, regardless of where it happens or what it is, most people still are not prepared.
Aldrich says Katrina presented an opportunity for people to prepare themselves and their families individually for a disaster, but it didn‘t happen. He says most people were sympathetic to the plight of the people in Louisiana and Mississippi, but still maintain the attitude that ” it can‘t happen to them.”
Aldrich says although people may treat a disaster like Katrina like a distant fire, disaster can happen to anyone at anytime.
