How Are the Feds Preparing for Rita?

Sept. 22, 2005 — -- After the devastation and chaos that followed Hurricane Katrina three weeks ago, the federal government is eager to prove it's ready for Rita, a Category 5 storm bearing down on the Gulf Coast.

President Bush has declared a state of emergency in Texas and said Wednesday that all levels of government are coordinating their efforts to prepare "for the worst."

"We hope and pray that Hurricane Rita will not be a devastating storm, but we've got to be ready for the worst," Bush said in a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington, D.C.

The administration faced harsh criticism over its handling of Katrina. One professional casualty of the storm was Michael Brown, who resigned last week as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Bush appointed R. David Paulison, a former fire chief in Miami, as acting head of FEMA.