Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown called for patience in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
"Response operations are being conducted over a disaster area of nearly 90,000 square miles — the biggest single disaster response in our nation's history. This is a catastrophic event, and it takes time to get assets to victims over this large area," said Brown. "We ask for patience from individuals who may be uncomfortable but are safe while we conduct search and rescue efforts for those who are stranded and without commodities