almost seven years to the day and this area here in coastal mississippi, gulfport, really was ground zero for hurricane katrina. we all know the tragedy in new orleans. the storm surge and winds was pounding this area and almost leveled whole blocks in this coastal region. i am standing about 18-feet above sea level. there was 10, 11 feet of water above me when katrina came onshore. so this area prone to storm surge. we are set up across the street from the gulf of mexico, because we know the storm surge forecast is a 6-12 foot storm surge. farther off to the right, that is the port of gulfport mississippi, completely evacuated tonight. they finished their preparations yesterday. that port completely demolished seven years ago because of katrina. they just reopened a year ago. all the cranes have been moves away. locals around here were rushing their preparations last night. so far this morning, the weather can be described as every now and then, a couple of light rain shower
gulfport, mississippi. paul, good morning. reporter: good morning, willie. you mentioned katrina. almost seven years to the day and this area here in coastal mississippi, gulfport, really was ground zero for hurricane katrina. we all know the tragedy in new orleans. the storm surge and winds was pounding this area and almost leveled whole blocks in this coastal region. i am standing about 18-feet above sea level. there was 10, 11 feet of water above me when katrina came onshore. so this area prone to storm surge. we are set up across the street from the gulf of mexico, because we know the storm surge forecast is a 6-12 foot storm surge. farther off to the right, that is the port of gulfport mississippi, completely evacuated tonight. they finished their preparations yesterday. that port completely demolished seven years ago because of katrina. they just reopened a year ago. all the cranes have been moves away. locals around here were rushing their preparations last night. so
inconvened, thinking they had no control over holmes once he left. i think that s a signal that you should intensify your efforts, not walk away. under those circumstances, most well-trained threat assessment teams would have gone into action. reporter: but listen to what the university s chancellor claimed early last week. to the best of to this point, we did everything that we think we should have done. reporter: words under fire now, as those close to the victims now ask, could this all have been prevented? mark greenblatt, abc news, denver. we ll have more on this developing story, coming up later today on good morning america. politics, now. your voice, your vote. and with little more than three weeks until the republican convention, mitt romney is close to answering the big question. who will be his running mate? abc s tahman bradley is in washington with the latest. good morning, tahman. reporter: good morning, sunny. the anticipation is building. wit
good morning, everybody. i m rob nelson. and i m sunny hostin, in for paula faris. well, it is nearly two weeks, now, since the colorado shooting left 12 dead. and now, there are questions whether warning signs about suspected gunman, james holmes, were ignored. here s abc s mark greenblatt with our exclusive reporting. reporter: abc news has learned that psychiatrist dr. lynne fennton, was a key member of the threat assessment team. these documents that abc uncovered show that fennton wrote the policy on threat assessment. what s more, that by early june, fenton notified other members of the team about concerns about holmes behavior. but on june 10th, three days after holmes bought an assault weapon, he told the university he was quitting. so, the assessment team never had a formal meeting and never inconvened, thinking they had no control over holmes once he left. i think that s a signal that you should intensify your efforts, not walk away. under those circumstanc
paula faris. well, it is nearly two weeks, now, since the colorado shooting left 12 dead. and now, there are questions whether warning signs about suspected gunman, james holmes, were ignored. here s abc s mark greenblatt with our exclusive reporting. reporter: abc news has learned that psychiatrist dr. lynne fennton, was a key member of the threat assessment team. these documents that abc uncovered show that fennton wrote the policy on threat assessment. what s more, that by early june, fenton notified other members of the team about concerns about holmes behavior. but on june 10th, three days after holmes bought an assault weapon, he told the university he was quitting. so, the assessment team never had a formal meeting and never inconvened, thinking they had no control over holmes once he left. i think that s a signal that you should intensify your efforts, not walk away. under those circumstances, most well-trained threat assessment teams would have gone into actio