Quote:
Originally posted by lifesaver
Why on earth did it take 2 to 3 days to get the airport up and running to get emergency supplies in by plane.
|
With the flooding and debris, they had to make sure the runways were structurally sound enough to handle the pressure from large planes landing and taking off.
They can't bring in heavy equipment to start the cleanup process until they're sure the roads and bridges can withstand the weight of the trailers bringing in the equipment. Not to mention, they need to get more of the water out of the city, which is going to take a long time.
They can't bring in ships because the Mississippi river is effectively closed south of Cape Girardeau, MO., with a backlog of barges. There is considerable debris clogging up the southern port as well.
Sure, they could have had a contingency plan in place for the hurricane and its aftermath, but no one could have ever foreseen the magnitude of the destruction caused by the additional flooding.