As if the Federal Emergency Management Agency doesn't already have a bad reputation for their slow response to New Orleans during the disasters of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, FEMA is looking to determine how much money it overpaid or mistakenly awarded hurricane victims in 2005.

FEMA is reviewing over $600 million that was given to about 154,000 victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, and could be asking for some of the money to be returned.

According to reports, the agency has already sent thousands of letter to victims of other disaster, asking for the return of over $22 million.

Letters to Hurricane Katrina victims could be sent out in the coming months.

The associated press wrote:

The effort isn't sitting well with victims who spent the money years ago and who could need help again if another powerful storm hits.

It's of little consolation that FEMA says procedural changes since 2005 mean future disaster victims aren't likely to have to deal with large recalls of cash.

Government forecasters are expecting an above average Atlantic storm season, with three to six major hurricanes that have winds of 111 mph or higher.

While no hurricane that strong has made landfall since 2005, forecasters have warned that residents shouldn't count on that streak to continue.

"When you get these high levels of activity the likelihood of a hurricane striking the U.S. goes up quite a bit," said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center in Washington.

Paul Wegener, whose New Orleans home flooded up to the gutters after Katrina, felt short-changed when FEMA gave him a $30,000 grant for a house that wound up costing more than $566,000 to rebuild.

He applied for more through the state's Road Home program but was told he didn't qualify. The thought of having to return some of his federal aid only compounds his frustration.

"They'll have to pry it from my dead hands if they try," the 75-year-old said.

Thinking back to the devastation, lives lost and hardship the people victims of Katrina faced, it's unbelievable that the government, mistake or not, would have the audacity to ask for a dime back from anyone that was effected by Hurricane Katrina or any other disaster.

Good luck getting your money back, FEMA.

In a monumental ruling, U.S. District Judge Stanwood R. Duval declared that the government, via negligence on the part of the Army Corp of Engineers, is directly responsible for many of the issues that people encountered after the winds settled.

In his 156-page decision, Judge Duval proceeded to rip the Army and U.S. Government a new one, using words such as “myopia, insouciance, and shortsightedness,” to describe the corps quality of work ethics.

“For more than 40 years the corps had known that a crucial levee protecting suburban St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward neighborhood would be compromised by deterioration of the channel. The corps had a myriad of ways to address the problem but failed to do so.”

On the same day, Judge Duvall awarded $719,000 to a group of flood victims that sued the government in April of 2006.

The ruling creates a clear path for anyone effected by Katrina who would like to take legal action against the government in the storm's aftermath.

With the inefficiency that was FEMA, I am sure that there will be more lawsuits in the near future.

In a monumental ruling, U.S. District Judge Stanwood R. Duval declared that the government, via negligence on the part of the Army Corp of Engineers, is directly responsible for many of the issues that people encountered after the winds settled.

In his 156-page decision, Judge Duval proceeded to rip the Army and U.S. Government a new one, using words such as “myopia, insouciance, and shortsightedness,” to describe the corps quality of work ethics.

“For more than 40 years the corps had known that a crucial levee protecting suburban St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward neighborhood would be compromised by deterioration of the channel. The corps had a myriad of ways to address the problem but failed to do so.”

On the same day, Judge Duvall awarded $719,000 to a group of flood victims that sued the government in April of 2006.

The ruling creates a clear path for anyone effected by Katrina who would like to take legal action against the government in the storm's aftermath.

With the inefficiency that was FEMA, I am sure that there will be more lawsuits in the near future.

The 80-page report claims that FEMA declined to address the matter in a timely fashion being overly concerned with its already tainted public image. The report says FEMA withdrew the formaldehyde health threat only after media attention "grew to disturbing levels" and even postponed testing to "develop a public communications strategy," according to CNN.

While federal tests found formaldehyde in their emergency housing units just two months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ripped through the South East, most of the tests weren't performed until two years later and in the winter, when formaldehyde levels are at their lowest, the report says.

"Because of the delays, the test results may have underestimated the extent of formaldehyde exposure that residents had experienced," it says.

Almost immediately after 200,000 trailers were provided to displaced Katrina victims, residents began to encounter health problems likely due to the toxic, strong-smelling gas that officials believe causes cancer.

Shortly after the hurricanes in October of 2005, federal officials advised government workers to limit their time in the trailers, however, the same advisory was not extended to the trailer residents.

In the report, the inspector general acknowledges FEMA's efforts to address the problem.

"FEMA officials did make some attempts to identify the extent of the formaldehyde problem, but they did so by trying to get an accurate tally of complaints from occupants rather than testing occupied units," the report says.

Richard Skinner, the inspector general who released the report, for the Department of Homeland Security. DHS is FEMA's parent department.

In the report, FEMA officials said the document "does not adequately emphasize the compelling fact that there were no established formaldehyde standards for travel trailers." The inspector general agreed that there is a lack of standards.

FEMA spokesman, Clark Stevens made a statement Thursday and said he "agrees with the Inspector General's findings" and has already made considerable strides in establishing policies and actions to address growing concerns about formaldehyde emissions.

"As a result, FEMA and our partners are far better positioned to respond to the temporary housing needs of disaster survivors than we were several years ago."

FEMA is now performing third-party tests to ensure the air quality in mobile housing units comply with new specifications.

How convenient, several years later and minus a Bush and they are more equipped to handle the situation. Now let's see if FEMA will help provide health care for anyone that reports any cancerous health claims after living in these death traps.