WASHINGTON -- United States Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., today chaired a hearing examining the federal government's response to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which devastated the Gulf Coast this month. Sen. Landrieu, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Disaster Recovery Subcommittee, gathered the mayors of Shreveport, Houston and Galveston as well as the Lieutenant Governors from Louisiana and Texas to provide the subcommittee with their local perspective on the response to these disasters.

"When Hurricanes Gustav and Ike hit the Gulf Coast, the cameras turned off when the storms did not result in catastrophic death tolls," Sen. Landrieu said. "But today's hearing shed light on what happened along the Gulf Coast while the cameras were off. We heard from mayors in Texas cities that were devastated, and our Shreveport mayor who represented a key point of shelter for evacuated Louisianians. We also saw up close how critical hurricane protection is to Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes that were flooded by these storms because of their vulnerability.

"FEMA did a much better job of working with state and local governments to safely evacuate communities in advance of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. But it is clear that communities are having difficulty navigating FEMA's mess of lingering red tape as they work to recover from these storms. It is also evident that the agency has more work to do in making its supply distribution process as swift and effective as catastrophes of this magnitude require.

"We still have a lot of work to do to better our federal government response to catastrophic disasters. FEMA still has not provided a complete Disaster Housing Strategy, and instead it remains FEMA's strategy to pull up a trailer and park it. This committee will remain focused on reforming government preparedness and response."

Louisiana's Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu outlined the extent of Louisiana's damage from Gustav and Ike and asked for 100 percent federal cost share of all FEMA categories of Assistance.

"The economic impact on Louisiana's businesses and industries has been massive -- initial estimates are as high as $20 billion," Lt. Gov. Landrieu said. "Damage estimates to public infrastructure, including damage to roads, schools and hospitals, are currently at more than $1 billion."

Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover testified on behalf of Northwest Louisiana, which took in 13,000 evacuees in shelters and many more in hotels, private homes and churches. He told the subcommittee that while all levels of government worked better for these storms, there is much room for improvement. He said that the city ordered cots and towels on September 1 for a Shreveport state-run shelter, but the supplies were not delivered until September 17 and 18, with no warning of their arrival.

"As a result, our city government and numerous community volunteers and church leaders had to scour the city for towels and other supplies," Mayor Glover said.

Louisiana State Sen. Reggie Dupre, who represents Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes, testified that the Army Corps of Engineers has failed to implement the authorized Morganza to the Gulf hurricane protection project necessary to protecting the parishes from storms such as Gustav and Ike. These parishes are critical to Louisiana's oil and gas production, and Ike flooded them despite making landfall more than 200 miles away.

"Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes lie in the middle of the Louisiana energy corridor to the nation," Sen. Dupre said. Sen. Landrieu questioned Corps official Gary Loew about $30 million that has already been appropriated for Terrebonne and Lafourche hurricane protection. Loew said the Corps has been working with the parish on defining which levee areas will be repaired.

Sen. Landrieu also pushed the Corps on the necessary dredging of the Calcasieu River Ship Channel, which Loew said should cost $40 million.

"The billions in damage to the Gulf Coast in the past few weeks have not been a result of people's greed, like what has happened on Wall Street," Sen. Landrieu said. "These storms highlight the need to expedite hurricane protection to every community along the Gulf Coast, and I will continue to work toward Corps reform and FEMA reform."

The following witnesses testified before the hearing:

Panel I: Sen. Reggie Dupre, Jr., Louisiana State Senate District 20; Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas, Galveston, Texas; Mayor Cedric Glover, Shreveport, Louisiana; and Mayor Bill White, Houston, Texas

Panel II: Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst

Panel III: Admiral Harvey E. Johnson, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); and Ed Hecker, Chief, Homeland Security Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Following the hearing, Sen. Landrieu met with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and the rest of the Louisiana delegation to discuss Louisiana's needs in the wake of the storms.

"Congress is also now crafting a critical Emergency Supplemental package for disasters to help our communities in Louisiana and Texas get back on their feet," Sen. Landrieu said. "The input we have received today in the hearing and meeting with Governor Jindal will be very helpful in putting this package together."