FEMA official in New Orleans blasts agency's response
{{date|October 23, 2005}}
{{New Orleans Disaster Infobox}}
Marty Bahamonde, the only FEMA emplyee in New Orleans during hurricane Katrina, testifying before 
the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, contradicts former FEMA director 
Michael Brown's testimony and says Brown ignored his pleas for help.

In an August 31 Blackberry email:

"Sir, I know you know that this situation is past critical. Here are some things you might not know.  Hotels are kicking people out, thousands gathering in the streets with no food or water. Hundreds still being rescued from homes" and "medical staff at the Dome expect to run out of oxygen in about 2 hours"

In an email from one of Brown's aids:
"Please schedule Joe Scarborough this evening... Also, it is very important that time is allowed for Mr. Brown to eat dinner. Gievn[sic] that Baton Rouge is back to normal, restaurants are getting busy"

== Sources ==
* {{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102001606.html
|title=Aide Says FEMA Ignored Warnings
|author=
|pub=The Washington Post
|date=October 21, 2005}}
<!-- Hint: If you are citing BBC News, leave the author blank and put "BBC News" in the "pub" parameter. -->

* {{source|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fema21oct21,1,2096319.story?coll=la-headlines-nation
|title=Insider Condemns FEMA Response
|author=
|pub=L.A. Times
|date=October 21, 2005}}

* [http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/20051022_FEMA2.pdf pdfs of the emails]

{{publish}}

{{archive}}
[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Federal Emergency Management Agency]]
Marty Bahamonde, the only FEMA emplyee in New Orleans during hurricane Katrina, testifying before 
the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, contradicts former FEMA director 
Michael Brown's testimony and says Brown ignored his pleas for help.

In an August 31 Blackberry email:

"Sir, I know you know that this situation is past critical. Here are some things you might not know.  Hotels are kicking people out, thousands gathering in the streets with no food or water. Hundreds still being rescued from homes" and "medical staff at the Dome expect to run out of oxygen in about 2 hours"

In an email from one of Brown's aids:
"Please schedule Joe Scarborough this evening... Also, it is very important that time is allowed for Mr. Brown to eat dinner. Gievnsic that Baton Rouge is back to normal, restaurants are getting busy"

* 

*  pdfs of the emails
Disasters and accidents North America United States Federal Emergency Management Agency