No wonder they don’t want an independent investigation.
Report Warned of Hurricane Health Woes
Eight months before the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, an internal Homeland Security Department review warned that the nation was woefully unprepared for a medical disaster and lacked a coherent plan for taking charge of mass casualties.
Government medical teams had difficulty coordinating and delivering help during 2004 hurricanes in Florida, said the report obtained by The Associated Press. The report also said there was inadequate planning for dealing with a surge of patients during a disaster like a biological or nuclear attack.
[...]
Lowell also said he was startled when then-Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Mike Brown strongly rejected the ideas Lowell had proposed earlier this year. “He rejected the methodology, the message, the conclusion and the recommendations,” Lowell said. “He disagreed with every single everything.”
But look! Looters!
What about this crony?
Lowell said Brown didn’t want him to give the report to then-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. But Lowell, who was hired by Ridge to conduct the review, said Ridge heartily welcomed its conclusions and recommendations.”
And this crony?
“Chertoff took over a month after the report was issued and ordered a further review of medical preparedness. He then reorganized the department, creating a new undersecretary for preparedness and Runge’s job.”