Failures cited in first Katrina hearing - Hurricane Katrina - MSNBC.com

Failures cited in first Katrina hearing - Hurricane Katrina - MSNBC.com: "Sept. 14, 2005

WASHINGTON - Post-9/11 reforms to respond to catastrophic disasters failed their first major test in Hurricane Katrina’s wake, the Republican chairwoman of a Senate committee said Wednesday as the panel opened its inquiry of the government’s response to the storm.

Despite billions of dollars to boost disaster preparedness at all levels of government, the response to Katrina was plagued by confusion, communication failures and widespread lack of coordination, said Senate Homeland Security Committee chair Susan Collins, R-Maine."