Former FEMA Admin. reflects on what we learned 20 years after Hurricane Katrina

FEMA's Role and Reform - Congress passed the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, giving FEMA specific missions and requiring the FEMA administrator to have experience in emergency management [1][2] - The key is to respond faster and not wait until the full extent of the damage is known [3] - FEMA is meant to coordinate assistance on behalf of the president [2] - There's a need to reform the reimbursement processes, which are currently too complex and time-consuming [7] - Reforming the way FEMA does business is crucial, but ensuring FEMA has the resources to do its job is also important [8] Challenges and Concerns - There are concerns about the lack of a career emergency manager and a Senate-confirmed FEMA administrator during peak hurricane season [4] - Substantial staffing reductions and morale issues at FEMA are reminiscent of the situation before Hurricane Katrina [4] - There are concerns that the new version of FEMA, with funding and staffing cuts, may not be addressing past failures [5] - Bureaucratic red tape, such as the requirement for the secretary to sign off on anything over $100,000, hinders disaster response [6]