What Went Wrong

By Jeremy Caplan

In a 520-page study titled A Failure of Initiative, a congressional committee last week issued the findings of its five-month investigation into the government's botched response to Hurricane Katrina.

What does the report say? In the days before the storm hit on Aug. 29, local, state and federal officials failed to heed warnings of Katrina's intensity. Their disorganized response reflected communication failures and weak leadership at all levels of government. "Our report," the authors wrote, "is a litany of mistakes, misjudgments, lapses and absurdities all cascading together."

Was Michael Brown really to blame? Although the report strongly criticizes the ex--FEMA chief, it puts his inadequacies in the context of FEMA's broader problems and a "brain drain" in the top ranks. The report sidesteps the issues of political patronage and why inexperienced officials like Brown held certain top jobs.

Will Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff lose his job? Probably not. Chertoff was rebuked in congressional hearings for appearing out of touch; he admitted going to bed on Aug. 29 without knowing that New Orleans' levees had collapsed, even though his department had been informed. Nonetheless, the White House says Chertoff still has the President's support.

What are the report's recommendations? Although it's primarily descriptive, the report implores FEMA and other agencies to better anticipate the needs of those affected by natural disasters by providing emergency supplies before they're formally requested.