A Brief History Of: FEMA

From Hurricane Frederic in 1979 to tropical storm fay, which ravaged Florida in late August, Americans affected by disaster have looked to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for aid. But long before its error-plagued response to Hurricane Katrina (which marked its third anniversary Aug. 29), critics complained that FEMA, meant to epitomize state humanitarianism, was a synonym for government dysfunction.

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]

ADMINISTRATION ANALYSIS Jimmy Carter 1977-1981 HIGH HOPES In 1979 Carter merges some 100 disconnected aid programs into a new agency in order to better coordinate U.S. disaster response. The organization proves...

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