Hurricane Katrina and the National Response Plan

Until a few days ago, when we thought of homeland security, we thought first about response to terrorism. Hurricane Katrina's effects on not just the southeastern United States but on the entire nation should remind us that homeland security also includes response to all hazards, including natural disasters.

"In Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)- 5, the President directed the development of a new National Response Plan (NRP) to align Federal coordination structures, capabilities, and resources into a unified, all-disciplines, and all-hazards approach to domestic incident management."

Late Tuesday, August 30, 2005, the Department of Homeland Security declared Hurricane Katrina to be an "incident of national significance". This understated declaration triggered the NRP.