Is the US response time slow?

The nation must make major changes to the way it responds to disasters such as hurricanes or terrorist attacks, New Orleans' homeland security chief told more than 3,000 scientists Monday at the American Meteorological Society's annual meeting.

Director Terry Ebbert focused on the continuing problems he said he faces weighing federal regulatory requirements against the need to save lives and protect evacuees. He said local emergency managers are handcuffed by paperwork required by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which calls for detailed accounting of all emergency expenses.

Ebbert said he faced similar problems ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and with post-Katrina court orders prohibiting him from seizing guns from evacuees. He called it ironic that federal law also demands that he ensure that all evacuees under his control are unarmed when they board trains or airplanes. The National Rifle Association sued the city after Katrina to force New Orleans police to return guns seized in the storm's aftermath. The lawsuit is pending.

Ebbert said the nation remains incapable of providing the supplies and manpower needed in the aftermath of a disaster in the same way that its military can supply and move troops into battle during a war.

At the local level, Ebbert said, the greatest challenge is instilling in the public the urgency to plan in advance for disasters. Though about 25,000 people in New Orleans are expected to need assistance leaving their homes because of illness or disability, fewer than 12,000 have registered with the city's evacuation program.

The American Meteorological Society conference continues through Thursday.