Now-retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, who oversaw military recovery efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina left much of the city underwater and thousands stranded, says the lessons from that catastrophic flood are still relevant today.
One key takeaway, he stresses, is that Americans should rely on their neighbors as much as the federal government when evacuating.
“The government’s got a responsibility in preparedness to give you warning,” Honoré tells PEOPLE. “We pay big money to get warning.”…