American system of emergency management is based on the premise that all disasters are local. Response begins with local officials, who have complete authority to respond. If they are overwhelmed, they call for help from the state, handing over both authority and responsibility. If the state is overwhelmed, it can call for help from FEMA. But FEMA’s role is primarily as a dispenser of money. Much of what went wrong with Katrina wasn’t under its purview.
