Hurricane Katrina Damage Claims must be filed by August 28, 2006.

Overwhelmed relief center in Houston is closed early

HOUSTON -- Saying they were caught off guard by the number of people in need, FEMA officials closed a relief center early yesterday after some of the hundreds of hurricane victims in line began fainting in triple-digit heat.

The Houston disaster relief center was closed midday as officials in areas hit hardest by Hurricane Rita criticized FEMA's response to the storm, with one calling for a commission to examine the emergency response.

In Washington, an audit released yesterday showed that former FEMA director Michael Brown was warned weeks before Hurricane Katrina hit that his agency's backlogged computer systems could delay supplies and put personnel at risk during an emergency.

An internal review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's information-sharing system shows it was overwhelmed during the 2004 hurricane season. The audit was released a day after Brown vehemently defended FEMA for the government's response to Katrina, instead blaming state and local officials for poor planning and chaos during the Aug. 29 storm and subsequent flooding.

The review by Homeland Security Department acting Inspector General Richard L. Skinner examined FEMA's response to four major hurricanes and a tropical storm that hit Florida and the Gulf Coast in August and September 2004. It noted FEMA's mission during disasters as rapid response and coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local authorities.

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