FEMAs Failure during the Hurricane Katrina Disaster - Research Paper Example

When Hurricane Andrew laid waste on Florida and Louisiana, the resulting criticism affected the re-election attempts of president George H.W. Bush. Between the year 1993 to 1994, James Lee Witt was appointed by President Bill Clinton to head FEMA. James Witt has skills relevant to disaster management control and concentrates the agency’s efforts and different resources on natural disasters. Its response to the earthquake at Northbridge, California and the flooding of the Mississippi River was exceptional and has been congratulated for it.

President Bush’s 2000 campaign chairman, Jose Albaugh was made as the director of FEMA in 2001. The terrorist attacks which happened in 9/11 on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center required FEMA’s attention not only to natural disasters but on terrorism as well. As 2003 came FEMA was integrated into the new Department of Homeland Security and became a part of it. Michael Brown, Albaugh’s college friend, and the previous assistant were made FEMA director. When Hurricane Katrina wreaks havoc on the Gulf Coast in 2005, FEMA’s response to the said disaster was extremely disapproved of due to its many loopholes in the provision and coordination of aid.

established to minimize the loss of property and lives during a natural disaster, a man-made disaster and when acts of terrorism arise (FEMA, n.d.). Likewise, it provides support to the nation by employing and implementing protection, response, recovery, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness and lessening the impact from all hazards (FEMA, n.d.).In the 1980s the Federal Emergency Management Agency was often commended and admired as one of the best-functioning federal agencies due to its exemplary performance to emergency situations, which were publicized during the Midwestern floods in 1993, the Northridge.