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FEMA Fails during Katrina: Talk About "Clueless”
- Rutgers University Press
- Chapter
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“I feel somewhat abandoned,” said FEMA chief Michael Brown to a congressional committee on February 10, 2006, regarding his perception that he was taking the brunt of the blame for the colossal failure of the federal government to deal effectively in response to Hurricane Katrina.1 In his explosive testimony, Brown said, “It’s nice to appear before a committee as a private citizen and not be constrained by talking points.”2 Brown had taken a big hit for being the point person (or the scapegoat, depending upon your point of view) for the federal government’s slow and feeble response to Hurricane Katrina. Further, Brown became a laughingstock for many in part because of President George Bush’s odd characterization of Brown’s job performance in the face of what was seen as a universal failure on the part of FEMA. “Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job,” said the president on September 2, 2005, three days after Katrina hit and two days after the New Orleans levees President Bush was thinking that he could distance himself and ignore the clear signs of an impending disaster and then not suffer the consequences of being detached and oblivious to the severity of the problem. What were they thinking?. A leader who is not fully engaged and informed in order to communicate effectively during an emergency or crisis is a dangerous leader indeed. The Lesson. 228 FEMA Fails during Katrina TALK ABOUT “CLUELESS” Adubato_final_book 5/20/08 4:32 PM Page 228 failed and the city was flooded. Thousands were displaced and, as the president spoke, many were stranded without food or water. Apparently the president had limited knowledge of what was going on in New Orleans and therefore he tried to pass off the responsibility for managing the crisis, making his communication with the hurricane victims and with all Americans dismally inadequate. Out of Touch President Bush’s highest approval ratings were the product of his ability to demonstrate compassion and empathy after 9/11. Many Americans, even those who disagreed with Bush’s policies and politics, sensed the president’s human qualities in the days after 9/11. His physical and emotional presence at Ground Zero on September 14, walking through the rubble of the Twin Towers and speaking to heroic rescue workers with a bullhorn in hand, was powerful on many levels. It characterized what any great leader must do in the face of a crisis of unimaginable proportions. But the way President Bush handled the Ground Zero impromptu speech and the way he handled Katrina in New Orleans are two very different stories. His poorly timed and frankly absurd characterization of Michael Brown’s performance as the head of FEMA during and after Hurricane Katrina became symbolic of President Bush’s denial of how bad the Katrina crisis was and how poorly his administration, as well as government at every level, performed and ultimately failed to protect American citizens, most of whom were poor and black and left to fend for themselves. This perception was captured in a photo of Bush aboard Air Force One, on his way from Crawford, Texas, to Washington, D.C. Looking down at the devastation and heartache in New Orleans, he shows no particular expression and flies on by. Bush FEMA FAILS DURING KATRINA 229 Adubato_final_book 5/20/08 4:32 PM Page 229 [3.237.46.120] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 03:14 GMT) appeared pathetically out of touch. Apparently the president’s advisors told him that it wouldn’t be good for him or his image if he actually landed in New Orleans and was photographed amid the death and destruction or if he tired to deal directly with suffering and angry citizens who might confront him on the failure of FEMA. Ironically, by trying to so tightly control the images put out by the media and to avoid a public relations fiasco on the ground in New Orleans, a much more serious mistake in crisis communication was made—President Bush was not only seen as out of touch with Katrina’s havoc, but thanks to that Air Force One fly-over photo-op, he was seen as uncaring and insensitive. (Later the president would visit New Orleans and walk what was left of the streets, but it would be seen by many as too little, way too late.) It is with this powerful image in mind that we were stunned and disappointed with President Bush’s inability and...