Gulfport, Miss. ? Federal emergency officials said they have improved their logistics, communication and equipment problems that were exposed by hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma last year.

David Paulison, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told reporters in a conference call Friday that his office has worked hard since last hurricane season to fix the issues that left many people without help after devastating storms.

One of the major problems was getting food, ice and water to people in areas hit by storms, particularly Katrina. Paulison said the agency did not have enough supplies and didn’t know where the trucks went.

This year the agency purchased tracking systems for trucks carrying supplies, and they already are installed.

Paulison said the amount of supplies also was a problem.

Before Katrina, FEMA had 160 tractor trailer trucks filled with food. Now, there are nearly 800.