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CNN Live Today

Federal Disaster Aid

Aired May 07, 2003 - 11:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush has issued disaster declarations for several counties hit by Sunday's deadly tornadoes. That clears the way for the federal disaster assistance in storm- damaged areas.
Joining us to talk about that, the director of FEMA, the Federal Management Emergency Management Agency.

Michael Brown, we happen to have you here with us in Atlanta. Good morning.

MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIR.: Good morning. How are you doing?

KAGAN: I'm doing good. We had a chance to visit a little bit.

You know all about tornadoes. You're an Oklahoma boy, so you were raised on tornadoes.

BROWN: I was raised on tornadoes. One of my earliest childhood experiences was going to my grandmother's cellar and watching a tornado fly across the farm. So it's a scary business.

KAGAN: Very scary. And certainly you know the experience, if it didn't happen to your own family, and what it feels like for families just to lose anything simply in an instant.

BROWN: Right, and I think that's something people don't understand is the total disruption that occurs in folks' lives. Suddenly your house is gone. Your belongings are scattered across the fields and everywhere. People told me stories yesterday about literally being in their basements, coming upstairs and thinking the lights were on, and no, it's not that the lights were on -- there's no roof.

KAGAN: The house was gone, or just the roof was gone.

So tell me about what you saw when you went across the area?

BROWN: Daryn, it was absolutely amazing, because it looked literally like a World War II movie set. It looked like some terrorist group had gone through your city and decided they wanted to blow up downtown. It was awful, absolutely awful.

KAGAN: And so folks want help. What kind of help is on the way from the federal government?

BROWN: Well, yesterday, President Bush signed a declaration, a disaster declarations, for both Missouri and Kansas. That will allow us, through the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Ridge, to start releasing funds for individual assistance and public assistance. They can now start calling the 800 number -- 800-621-FEMA -- to start doing their application process. We turn on all the resources in the federal government now, SBA loans, for example, for small businesses.

KAGAN: It is an interesting time, when people think of FEMA, I think they do think of either situations, either floods or tornadoes like this, but your job, as with many, as the federal government is reorganizing, is intertwined with dealing with terrorism, as well. How does that change how you deal with situations like this?

BROWN: Well, it doesn't change at all. And I think that's a great point that you make, because as I walked through the communities yesterday, I mean, I'm very serious, it looked like territories had gone through there.

KAGAN: It is terrorism to them, even though it was Mother Nature was doing that.

BROWN: And that's what it looked like. Our response is exactly the same. We bring in our partners. I mean, first of all, the first responders show up, the fire departments, they save lives, they try to protect property, and then we step in and help do the coordination.

So our role has not changed at all. It's still that all hazards approach. Regardless of what causes the incident, we're still there to respond and help.

KAGAN: And then quickly, a debate going on in Washington right now, is who picks up the bill. You have the federal government, you have state -- how are the two sides going to get along here to make sure that the folks, who don't really care where the money comes from, they want to get past the politics, and they want to make sure they get it.

BROWN: Right, and that's why with President Bush doing the disaster declaration, that will free up money federal money for them for individual assistance and for public assistance, so there shouldn't be any debate about that.

KAGAN: Well, they would very much like to help across the Midwest there.

Michael Brown, FEMA, thanks for stopping by.

BROWN: Thank you.

KAGAN: You have a lot of work ahead of you.

BROWN: Appreciate it so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 7, 2003 - 11:43   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush has issued disaster declarations for several counties hit by Sunday's deadly tornadoes. That clears the way for the federal disaster assistance in storm- damaged areas.
Joining us to talk about that, the director of FEMA, the Federal Management Emergency Management Agency.

Michael Brown, we happen to have you here with us in Atlanta. Good morning.

MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIR.: Good morning. How are you doing?

KAGAN: I'm doing good. We had a chance to visit a little bit.

You know all about tornadoes. You're an Oklahoma boy, so you were raised on tornadoes.

BROWN: I was raised on tornadoes. One of my earliest childhood experiences was going to my grandmother's cellar and watching a tornado fly across the farm. So it's a scary business.

KAGAN: Very scary. And certainly you know the experience, if it didn't happen to your own family, and what it feels like for families just to lose anything simply in an instant.

BROWN: Right, and I think that's something people don't understand is the total disruption that occurs in folks' lives. Suddenly your house is gone. Your belongings are scattered across the fields and everywhere. People told me stories yesterday about literally being in their basements, coming upstairs and thinking the lights were on, and no, it's not that the lights were on -- there's no roof.

KAGAN: The house was gone, or just the roof was gone.

So tell me about what you saw when you went across the area?

BROWN: Daryn, it was absolutely amazing, because it looked literally like a World War II movie set. It looked like some terrorist group had gone through your city and decided they wanted to blow up downtown. It was awful, absolutely awful.

KAGAN: And so folks want help. What kind of help is on the way from the federal government?

BROWN: Well, yesterday, President Bush signed a declaration, a disaster declarations, for both Missouri and Kansas. That will allow us, through the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Ridge, to start releasing funds for individual assistance and public assistance. They can now start calling the 800 number -- 800-621-FEMA -- to start doing their application process. We turn on all the resources in the federal government now, SBA loans, for example, for small businesses.

KAGAN: It is an interesting time, when people think of FEMA, I think they do think of either situations, either floods or tornadoes like this, but your job, as with many, as the federal government is reorganizing, is intertwined with dealing with terrorism, as well. How does that change how you deal with situations like this?

BROWN: Well, it doesn't change at all. And I think that's a great point that you make, because as I walked through the communities yesterday, I mean, I'm very serious, it looked like territories had gone through there.

KAGAN: It is terrorism to them, even though it was Mother Nature was doing that.

BROWN: And that's what it looked like. Our response is exactly the same. We bring in our partners. I mean, first of all, the first responders show up, the fire departments, they save lives, they try to protect property, and then we step in and help do the coordination.

So our role has not changed at all. It's still that all hazards approach. Regardless of what causes the incident, we're still there to respond and help.

KAGAN: And then quickly, a debate going on in Washington right now, is who picks up the bill. You have the federal government, you have state -- how are the two sides going to get along here to make sure that the folks, who don't really care where the money comes from, they want to get past the politics, and they want to make sure they get it.

BROWN: Right, and that's why with President Bush doing the disaster declaration, that will free up money federal money for them for individual assistance and for public assistance, so there shouldn't be any debate about that.

KAGAN: Well, they would very much like to help across the Midwest there.

Michael Brown, FEMA, thanks for stopping by.

BROWN: Thank you.

KAGAN: You have a lot of work ahead of you.

BROWN: Appreciate it so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com