To those who accuse New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin (D) of an ill-planned evacuation of the Crescent City ["Officials Deal With Political Fallout by Pointing Fingers," news story, Sept. 5]:
Amtrak, a federally subsidized corporation, canceled regularly scheduled trains in and out of New Orleans 72 hours before Hurricane Katrina was scheduled to make landfall.
Major airlines canceled flights Saturday evening, 48 hours before the projected landfall of 8 p.m. Aug. 29.
The government and private industries also abandoned New Orleans well in advance of Katrina's arrival.
To blame Mr. Nagin for the problems associated with the evacuation is despicable.
MARY BLOW PREVOST
New Orleans
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Much of the suffering that Hurricane Katrina has inflicted on southern Louisiana has been the result of the gross incompetence of Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) and New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin. Before, during and after the hurricane, these officials failed to take action that could have lessened the severity of human suffering and property damage. It is inconceivable that they
