Home > ’I’m a fashion god’ - what FEMA boss e-mailed as hurricane Katrina raged
’I’m a fashion god’ - what FEMA boss e-mailed as hurricane Katrina raged
by Open-Publishing - Monday 7 November 2005by RHIANNON EDWARD
AS HURRICANE Katrina battered New Orleans, the man in charge of the US government’s response was sending e-mails to colleagues about his fashion sense and how he looked on television.
On 29 August, the day Katrina struck the United States, Michael Brown, then director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), wrote to a fellow official: "I am a fashion god."
The correspondence emerged as a congressional panel released 23 pages of internal e-mails offering additional evidence of a confused and distracted government response, particularly from Mr Brown, at critical moments after the storm hit. It claimed more than 1,000 lives.
The e-mails show that Mr Brown, who had been planning to step down from his post, was preoccupied with his image on television, even as one of the first FEMA officials to arrive in New Orleans was reporting to colleagues about the growing crisis there.
In an e-mail to Mr Brown on 29 August, Cindy Taylor, FEMA’s deputy director of public affairs, wrote: "My eyes must certainly be deceiving me. You look fabulous - and I’m not talking the make-up."
"I got it at Nordstroms," he replied, referring to an upmarket department store. "Are you proud of me? Can I quit now? Can I go home?"
An hour later, Mr Brown added: "If you’ll look at my lovely FEMA attire, you’ll really vomit. I am a fashion god."
A week later, Mr Brown’s aide, Sharon Worthy, reminded him to pay heed to his image, saying: "In this crisis and on TV you just need to look more hardworking ... ROLL UP THE SLEEVES!"
Ms Worthy noted that even the president, George Bush, "rolled his sleeves to just below the elbow" when he was appearing on TV.
After receiving several e-mails on 29 August about the breach of the levees that were supposed to have protected New Orleans from flooding, Mr Brown questioned their accuracy, writing: "I’m being told here water over not a breach."
After receiving a message on 31 August, detailing how people were being "kicked out" of New Orleans hotels and that food and water had run out at the Superdome, he responded: "Thanks for the update. Anything specific I need to do or tweak?"
Charlie Melancon, a Louisiana Democrat in the House of Representatives, said the e-mails "depict a leader who seemed overwhelmed and rarely made key decisions". Mr Melancon criticised Mr Brown for addressing "superficial" matters rather than the pressing needs of Louisiana and Mississippi.
In an appearance in September before the panel, Mr Brown defended his actions. "I get it when it comes to emergency management - I know what it’s all about," he said. "I know how to do it, and I think I do a pretty darn good job of it."
However, he quit his post as criticism about the handling of the emergency - particularly the treatment of New Orleans’ black population - grew.
Mr Brown, whose previous employment included heading an Arabian horse association, was a friend of the former Bush campaign director Joe Allbaugh, the previous FEMA head.
FEMA has sent the state of Louisiana a bill for $3.7 billion (£2 billion) as its share of hurricane relief. The figure represents just under half of the $8 billion the state spends annually.