Michael Brown
Michael Brown
Former administrator of FEMA who resigned from his position after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Many americans blamed him for the slow response to help those in New Orleans in the aftermath of the deadly hurricane.
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth8 November 1954
CityGuymon, OK
absolutely disaster supplies understand
I understand people's frustrations. This has been an absolutely catastrophic disaster and so, we're doing absolutely everything we can to get the supplies into those folks.
absolute break clash cultural cycle disaster doomed inherent preparing recognize science time
There was a cultural clash that didn't recognize the absolute inherent science of preparing for a disaster. Any time you break that cycle ... you're doomed to failure.
disaster possible quickly
We've got to come in as quickly as possible and do what we can to avert another disaster.
disaster smooth
This was a catastrophic disaster, and in very disaster, there are mistakes, and it's not always smooth and pretty.
disaster ease knowing smooth
This was a catastrophic disaster, and in every disaster, there are mistakes, and it's not always smooth and pretty. I'm at ease knowing I was doing everything I could.
best disaster shows
It shows at a minimum, for a disaster like that, you don't always have the best information,
became best budget country couple decided director disaster fema figure gave model money picked president serious time
When I became the director of FEMA a couple of years ago, I decided it was time we did some really serious catastrophic disaster planning. So the president gave me money through our budget to do that. And we went around the country to figure out what's the best model we can do for a catastrophic disaster in this country? And we picked New Orleans, Louisiana.
country disaster government help history stretched worst
This story's not about me. This story's about the worst disaster of the history of our country that stretched every government to its limit, and now we have to help these victims. That's all I've wanted to do.
disaster katrina
This disaster did not end the day Katrina made landfall,
disaster help katrina ongoing people
People are getting the help they need, ... This is an ongoing disaster. This disaster didn't just end when Katrina left.
across community disaster federal government inherently respond size totally whatever
It is inherently impractical, totally impractical, for the federal government to respond to every disaster of whatever size in every community across the country,
continue country disaster dog fema full good government help history home hug limit maybe meal mexican stiff stretched walk wife worst
I'm going to go home and walk my dog and hug my wife and, maybe get a good Mexican meal and a stiff margarita and a full night's sleep. And then I'm going to go right back to FEMA and continue to do all I can to help these victims, ... This story's not about me. This story's about the worst disaster of the history of our country that stretched every government to its limit and now we have to help these victims.
difficult disaster
in general, will show that this was a disaster of catastrophic proportions where communications were difficult at best, and communications were nonexistent at other times.
best knew prepared quickly stretched
We were prepared but overwhelmed is the best way I can put it. We knew what to do. We knew how to do it. But because we're stretched thin, because we still had these logistical problems, it quickly overwhelmed us.