The Hill News

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate said Hurricane Katrina taught his agency the necessity of speed and public cooperation when responding to a natural disaster.

During a CNN interview on Saturday Fugate said his agency has learned valuable lessons from its errors responding to Hurricane Katrina, most notably that it can't afford to wait for an assessment of the damage before mobilizing its resources for recovery. Sunday marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city of New Orleans and portions of the Gulf coast.

"Speed is going to be critical. We cannot wait for a full assessment. We have to respond as if it's bad, bring the things together, and focus on the most immediate of keeping it safe, getting to the injured trapped, and recovering the lost lives, getting supplies in here," he said.

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