FEMA still racked with problems

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Much of the United States could not handle a catastrophic event and little is being done on the federal level to change that, it was reported Saturday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency remains racked by dysfunction and incompetence, despite calls for an agency overhaul, The New York Times said.

Although some headway has been made -- such as reforms aimed at preventing fraud and wasteful spending, improved evacuation and emergency medical plans and new high-tech equipment -- the agency remains stymied by a lack of power and money, the newspaper said.

FEMA Director R. David Paulison acknowledged in a briefing this month that while progress had been made, his agency had not finished the task of retooling itself.

Only 27 percent of the states and 10 percent of cities evaluated were adequately prepared "to cope with a catastrophic event," FEMA's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, has reported.

Among the vulnerable metropolitan areas are Dallas, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia.