Press Gaggle by Dana Perino and FEMA Administrator Dave Paulison

Business Wire, Sept 1, 2008

Q Sir, are you -- is it, to the best of your knowledge, the fact that everybody who wanted to get out of New Orleans was able to get out?

ADMINISTRATOR PAULISON: That's correct. There should not be any excuses for people who -- if people stayed in New Orleans, it was their choice.

Q Do you remember the confusion on the day that Katrina struck, as to whether the levees have broken or not -- it wasn't really until the evening that we got a clear picture. Do you have a better -- is there a better way to monitor what's happening on the levees this time? Or when do you think you'll be able to know with confidence whether the levees held or not?

ADMINISTRATOR PAULISON: The Corps has several things. They've got video cameras set up. They also put in place safe houses for the operators of the pumps. They have concrete bunkers. They have it rated at 250 mile an hour. They have windows that are rated at 250 mile an hour. They also have measuring things out there to see what the water flow is. So there are several things that should give us a better idea of how the levees are doing, and not be second-guessing like we were last time.

Anything else, guys?

Q Just on the cooperation with city officials, with the Mayor Nagin, with the Governor Bobby Jindal, just give us a sense of how the cooperation has been this time.

ADMINISTRATOR PAULISON: I was down there personally, met with the Mayor, met with the Governor. The cooperation is the best I've seen. It was -- all the parish presidents, the Mayor, the Governor, were all on the same page about the evacuations. They all agreed on the same time line. They're working together hand in hand. And also, the Governors, all four Governors, from Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are all working together also, sharing equipment back and forth. So it was -- I was very pleased, I'd have to tell you, with what I saw with the cooperation between -- that we didn't see last time.

Q One quick question about the path of the storm. If it continues to head into Texas and takes a track that way, are you as prepared for that type of hurricane as you are for Louisiana proper?

ADMINISTRATOR PAULISON: We are, and Texas is also. More than likely, Texas is going to get a lot of water and a lot of flooding. The Governor and the state emergency manager are well aware of that. They have a tremendous system there and they're ready to move people if they have to evacuate them again.

Q Thank you.

MS. PERINO: Thanks, Dave.

ADMINISTRATOR PAULISON: Thanks, guys. Thank you.

MS. PERINO: Anything else for me?

Q I had a question.

Q Is he going to give a speech to the convention this week?

MS. PERINO: At the convention -- as Rick Davis said yesterday from the McCain campaign when he gave the update from the convention, they were taking things day by day, and I haven't heard anything today. They said that they were going to give noon updates every day, so let's wait and see for that. But there will be nothing today.

Q But it's within the realm of possibility he would go to St. Paul?