FEMA unveils hurricane response base

A string of 15 electronic red dots stretching on a map from Texas to Massachusetts was beamed on giant plasma screens Thursday at FEMA's shiny new operation's center.

Each dot represented a water-stocked tractor-trailer heading to the Northeast in case Tropical Storm Beryl turns toward the coast. Each vehicle was equipped with a transponder so Federal Emergency Management Agency officials in Washington could monitor its progress.

from the Times Picayune