FEMA's Craig Fugate on Isaac preps for Gulf Coast: We don’t wait for a storm to get there

As tropical storm Isaac heads to the Gulf of Mexico, FEMA has already started mobilizing their staff and supplies.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, who briefed President Obama on tropical storm Isaac yesterday, says they've been moving supplies into the region since last week in anticipation of the storm's landfall.

"We’ve been moving supplies since earlier last week," Fugate tells Soledad O'Brien on "Starting Point." "We maintain supplies, particularly in Louisiana. So, we’ve been moving stuff to get ready for the impacts...We don’t wait for a storm to get there. We’re moving now, as we briefed the President yesterday. He wants to make sure we have what we need in place before the storm hits.”

Fugate also warns coastal residents not to ignore warnings from officials or coastal evacuations.

"This is a very big storm. The storm surge is first. People need to evacuate when the evacuation orders are given. But it’s moving slow, so we would expect a lot of heavy rain, localized flooding, and also potentially extensive power outages,” Fugate says.