Why FEMA turned away help

Daily Kos: Why FEMA turned away help: "Mon Sep 5th, 2005 at 07:55:38 PDT

For days after the disaster, help and volunteers of all sorts headed for New Orleans with relief supplies and expertise, only to be stopped and turned away by FEMA.

Last night, one of my friends joined our regular Sunday chat. He had just come home from New Orleans with his group of volunteer firefighters from Houston, after they had waited outside New Orleans for since Tuesday for FEMA to let them help in New Orleans, or use them somewhere else in the stricken region.

FEMA's 'reason' -- they wouldn't let anyone in 'until the National Guard has secured the city.' The details of his experience are below the fold."