[Katrina had provided an] extraordinary test ... We now know that its capabilities were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the storm.

One of the first things we must do is retool FEMA and enhance this vital agency's capabilities so that it can fulfill its historic and critical mission of supporting response and recovery,

I don't endorse those views, ... I know the city was totally overwhelmed. My own view is I have to get my own house in order. That's what I'm focused on.

Well, I think first of all there was a failure to have real, clear information at our disposal. There was a real lack of situational awareness. We didn't have the capabilities on the ground to give us real-time, accurate assessments of the physical condition of the city.

By choice or by chance, we must actively test our limits to know our capabilities.

It was unusual for its magnitude. You could say it was an ingenious plot.