Leadership During Hurricane Katrina

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s 18th hearing as part of the committee’s investigation of the government’s preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina examined the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In sometimes contentious testimony Mr. Brown testified about his role in the federal response and mistakes made by the federal government in the initial and subsequent disaster response. He also blamed the poor federal response to Katrina in part on the absorption of FEMA into the Department of Homeland Security, which he said had focused on preventing terrorist attacks and neglected the threat of natural disasters. He also said on August 29, the day the hurricane hit, he relayed urgent reports that the city’s levee pumps were failing, contradicting White House officials who had said they were unaware on August 29 the levees were no longer functioning. With the pumps overwhelmed and the le close