Gil Jamieson Quotations

Had Hurricane Katrina not come through here, the Rita storm would be really the event of the decade and the event that we're all talking about.

Had Hurricane Katrina not come through here, Rita would be the event of the decade.

Our goal is to help leaders in these parishes make the best decisions on rebuilding safely using the best available data from a variety of sources. This guidance provides those communities specific information they need to make better informed decisions on how high water might rise during floods and at what height buildings should be constructed.

I'm here for the long haul. Homeland Security, FEMA, the Coast Guard, the Red Cross, the Department of Transportation, we're all looking at it as a team.

We'll be periodically visiting all those families and talk with them and try to understand what their permanent housing plans are going to be and how we can help them get there.

What Katrina and Rita have done for emergency managers and for individuals is just create a heightened awareness of how important it is to communicate, how important it is to plan.

Cruise ships provided over two million meals, plus housing for over 8,000 hurricane victims, first responders, and representatives from eighteen federal and state agencies. Carnival Cruise Lines, Captain Angelo Los, and the staff of both the Ecstasy and the Sensation have been tremendous partners with FEMA throughout this recovery process.

The spirit of the community has returned. People are wanting and willing to help themselves and are happy to help their neighbors. One feature which I think needs to be acknowledged is the determination and the spirit of the people to recover.

You've really gotten off to a great start. There's a lot of self-sufficiency on the part of the folks over there who are, on their own initiative, taking up and starting the planning process, getting on with the rebuilding period. I think you're going to have a pretty swift and effective recovery over there in Texas.

The departure of the ships marks another step forward in the region's recovery. In the fall, the cruise ships will return with tourists who will help boost the local economy and help the great city of New Orleans continue to rebuild.