Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Computer systems blamed for feeble hurricane response

Via The Inquirer.

REPORTERS at the Wall Street Journal said they have seen documents which show that a swift response by the US federal government to Hurricane Katrina was hampered because FEMA computer servers crashed.

Michael Brown, FEMA's head, resigned yesterday after being recalled by the Department of Homeland Security to Washington DC.

Attempts by agencies to spur the Federal Emergency Management Agency into urgent action were met with bouncing emails, the Journal said.

It quoted a Department of Health official as saying every email it had sent to FEMA staff bounced. "They need a better internet provider during disasters," the Journal quoted her or him as saying.

A number of US agencies made desperate calls to the Department of Homeland Security and to Congresswomen and men, the article claimed. [Subscription required.]

The newspaper did not say which computer systems FEMA uses.

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