U.S. Lawmakers Review FEMA’s Hurricane Response

Washington, D.C.—Gulf Coast states…battered by back to back Hurricanes, Gustav and Ike…face a long recovery…a recovery the region’s leaders say won’t be possible without billions in federal assistance. They made their case, Tuesday, on Capitol Hill.

Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas, Galveston, TX: “Is Galveston worth saving? That is the question you must decide.“

Mayor Bill White, Houston, TX: “For most of us, the question is…when is the money going to be wired?“

Ike devastated the Texas coast…and Gustav was strong enough to work inland, into Louisiana…both storms leaving thousands homeless. Leaders mostly praised FEMA’s response, but said there was room for improvement…

Cedric Glover, Shreveport, LA: “For example, we ordered cots and towels through state EOC for one of the state-run shelters, on September 1st. The supplies were delivered September 17th. Another truckload of cots declared the next day. We had no way to tell what materials were on their way or when they would arrive.“

However, not all Gulf leaders were pleased with FEMA’s performance…Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu grilled agency representatives about specific needs, and told them their policies on housing need work.

Senator Mary Landrieu, (D) Louisiana: “Not developed… not developed.“

She finished by saying when it comes to disaster response, a grade of “better” wasn’t good enough.

Sen. Landrieu: “I’m sure there will be chapters and chapters written about bankruptcies, failures and lots of people hurt. There’s billions of dollars in damages. And, it’s not from people’s greed, like in the Wall Street crisis. These are innocent victims that the government has not worked hard enough to protect.“