Marty Bahamonde, first FEMA official in New Orleans before Katrina made landfall, to agency Director Michael Brown, Aug. 31, 11:20 a.m.:

"Sir, I know that you know the situation is past critical. Here some things you might not know.

"Hotels are kicking people out, thousands gathering in the streets with no food or water. ...

"The dying patients at the DMAT tent being medivac. Estimates are many will die within hours. ... We are out of food and running out of water at the dome, plans in works to address the critical need."

Sharon Worthy, Brown's press secretary, to Cindy Taylor, FEMA deputy director of public affairs, and others, Aug. 31, 2 p.m.:

"Also, it is very important that time is allowed for Mr. Brown to eat dinner. Gievn that Baton Rouge is back to normal, restaurants are getting busy. He needs much more that 20 or 30 minutes. We now have traffic to encounter to get to and from a location of his choise, followed by wait service from the restaurant staff, eating, etc."

Bahamonde to Taylor and Michael Widomski, public affairs, Aug. 31, 2:44 p.m.:

"OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! ... Just tell her that I just ate an MRE and crapped in the hallway of the Superdome along with 30,000 other close friends so I understand her concern about busy restaurants."