Bobby Jindal: “as witnessed in 2005, the response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was hampered by failure of identifying needs, and…”

“as witnessed in 2005, the response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was hampered by failure of identifying needs, and delays in delivering support. In preparation for this year's hurricane season, FEMA has engaged each of the 18 hurricane impact States, including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Territories, in a focused effort to identify strengths and weaknesses in their preparedness capabilities. FEMA used a gap analysis tool that was developed in coordination with the State of New York Emergency Management Office and the New York City Office of Emergency Management. This tool was successful in identifying vulnerabilities in New York, and it is now being implemented to provide FEMA, States, and local governments in the hurricane-prone regions of the country with a snapshot of asset gaps. Although FEMA has not yet released its full analysis, the agency has found significant gaps and shortfalls in hurricane preparedness among the targeted areas. Indeed, according to recent testimony before both the House and Senate Homeland Security Committees, FEMA Administrator David Paulison recognized Louisiana, in particular, as having a fragile state of recovery.”