FEMA Official Says Boss Ignored Warnings – Yahoo! News
A FEMA employee tried frantically to get his superiors, including Michael Brown, to respond to his emails warning the agency of the first levee break in New Orleans and the desperate need for supplies for the Superdome.
Meanwhile, a few hours after he again warned Brown that “many will die” after people began gathering in the streets by the thousands with no food or water, Brown’s press secretary was attempting a form of communication – written English – that was a little beyond her capabilities.
Later, on Aug. 31, Bahamonde frantically e-mailed Brown to tell him that thousands are evacuees were gathering in the streets with no food or water and that “estimates are many will die within hours.”
“Sir, I know that you know the situation is past critical,” Bahamonde wrote.
Less than three hours later, however, Brown’s press secretary wrote colleagues to complain that the FEMA director needed more time to eat dinner at a Baton Rouge restaurant that evening. “He needs much more that (sic) 20 or 30 minutes,” wrote Brown aide Sharon Worthy.
“We now have traffic to encounter to go to and from a location of his choise (sic), followed by wait service from the restaurant staff, eating, etc. Thank you.”
The impression given is that Brown just didn’t give a damn about people in New Orleans who hadn’t gotten themselves out. Either that, or he was too busy giving press conferences and complaining about local officials to bother checking his email.
Note to FEMA: send Sharon Worthy to remedial written English skool, etc. Thank you.
