OPINION: Hurricanes, presidents and the lessons of LBJ
Pat Williams | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 4 months AGO
Americans are once again experiencing hurricane season. Throughout most of American history, our presidents did not visit the sites of hurricanes and other natural disasters. That practice did not really began until our 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson.
On Sept. 9, 1965, a massive storm front sped across the Gulf and, rolling across Grand Island, barreled into New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 160 miles per hour. Hurricane Betsy, a category 4, raised the ocean surge 10 feet, devastating low-lying neighborhoods.
Within two hours of having discussed the disaster with Louisiana’s U.S. Sen. Russell Long and the majority leader, Montana’s Mike Mansfield, the president was boarding Air Force One on his way to the severely damaged area. Most of the authorities in the state and virtually none of the storm victims knew the president was on the way and more important was determined to help as only LBJ knew how. A former long-serving congressman, senator and vice president, Lyndon Johnson was perhaps the most experienced president in history; no one understood government better. As a protege of President Franklin Roosevelt, LBJ knew the levers of government power like the back of his hand, and his knowledge of the Congress has never been surpassed.
Air Force One landed at New Orleans in the rain that evening; all the electric grids and lines were down and darkness was reaching into the city. Johnson ordered to be taken to the refugee center and the shacks and tents that had been thrown together to move people out of the rain. Told that would be to dangerous, he insisted his aides round up flashlights because he was determined, darkness or no, to see and talk with those thousands who urgently needed help from the only institution big enough to provide it … their federal government.
The president went tent to tent, refuge to refuge, with flashlight and car lights to show the way. He would stand in the rain outside a tent and ask if those inside would mind if he talked with them for a minute and then he would open the tent flap, shine the flashlight on his own face and say, “Hello, I’m the president and I am here to help you.” He would assure them that their government was on the job and he would personally manage the effort to be certain they got help quickly.
The president was back in Washington very late that evening, and he worked the phones for days and nights, held personal meetings, gave orders, pulling at old friends and allies to drop what they were doing and come to the rescue of these needy victims.
He brought to his office the heads of both public and private relief agencies, cajoled, threatened, demanded and, as only a president can, cut through red tape like a bayonet through butter.
He ordered federal funding to Louisiana, federal equipment to New Orleans and Baton Rouge and clean water flown in. Worried the water wouldn’t reach the thirsty victims in time, he had calls made to Louisiana’s Coke, 7-Up, and Orange Crush bottlers asking them to immediately send thousands of cases of bottled soft drinks to those suffering of thirst, saying, “In those soda bottles there is no fear of contamination.” He oversaw the weeks and months of federal and state cleanup and, with federal loans and grants, came the government’s successful effort to rebuild.
Although always a hard worker, those close to him feared for his health. He had little sleep, worked nonstop and cut corners on the federal rules, saying, “We’ll patch that up later; right now people need help so get to it.” His enormous stamina and determination saw him through just as it did those he was trying to help.
President Johnson had two essential capacities: First, he was entirely determined to help those who needed it. Second, he was one of those “establishment” people who know how government is supposed to work.
Williams served Montana for nine terms as U.S. congressman and is affiliated with The University of Montana.
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