Bush 'was warned about Katrina'

2006-03-02 08:31

Washington - President George W Bush on Wednesday faced fresh controversy regarding his handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, as a new video footage surfaced showing him and other top officials being warned about the storm's potential devastation.

According to the details of meetings, the president asked no questions during a briefing on August 28, one day before the powerful hurricane made landfall on the Gulf Coast, but declared "we are fully prepared".

A video footage and transcripts of briefings almost six months to the day after Katrina struck on August 29 was shown. Katrina killed more than 1 300 people, many in New Orleans. More than 2 000 people were still officially listed as missing.

Missing Katrina transcript

The government's slow reaction to the devastation had contributed to a major slump in the Bush administration's popularity rating.

The president was away on a trip to South Asia on Wednesday. The White House made no immediate comment, but reports said that it had received "a missing Katrina transcript" from the White House that indicated Bush was "very engaged" in monitoring developments after the storm made landfall.

The video footage showed a briefing that Bush was given on August 28 as Katrina hurtled toward New Orleans from the Gulf of Mexico.

Michael Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was heard saying "this is, to put it mildly, the big one".

Medical, mortuary services

Brown expressed concern about the Superdome, saying the giant New Orleans sports stadium, where thousands of residents eventually sought shelter was "about four metres below sea level".

Brown said: "I don't know whether the roof is designed to withstand a Cat (category) Five hurricane."

The FEMA director also voiced concern about the medical and mortuary services available to cope with a disaster.

He said: "I'm concerned about ... their ability to respond to a catastrophe within a catastrophe."

He was referring to the danger of a one-two punch of hurricane and flooding after a levee breach.

Slow govt response

Brown later had to resign, the most senior victim of the storm of controversy over the slow government response to the hurricane.

Max Mayfield, head of the National Hurricane Centre, said that during a briefing there was "very, very grave concern" that New Orleans' levees could be topped by Katrina.

In the August 28 video, Mayfield warned "there is potential for large loss of lives" on the coastal areas from a storm surge.

Bush said four days after the hurricane hit: "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."

Bush attended the August 28 briefing by video link from his Texas ranch, where he was on holiday.

- AFP