Weather Emergency Preparedness

Michael Brown gave the keynote address at an annual meteorological conference. The former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency spoke about the responsibilities of television meteorologists to the public and profession during a future national disaster, FEMA’s preparation for national disasters, and how FEMA could and should work with state agencies on preparedness. In his remarks he identified several mistakes both he and the agency made in responding to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the impact of the media on evacuation efforts, and the responsibilities of emergency management officials. Mr. Brown also talked about his new work as an emergency preparedness consultant. Following his remarks, he responded to questions and comments from members of the audience. close