Compare the Bush government's response to Hurrican Katrina to the Australian govt's response to Cyclone Tracy, which destroyed Darwin on Christmas day 1974.

The first official responses to the cyclone were almost certainly those of the NT Police. During the day on 24 December emergency preparations were made at Darwin and Casuarina police stations. Tools and first aid materials were collected, and the Commissioner warned officers on duty that their afternoon shifts might be extended.

Toward midnight the police received telephoned reports of damage. Officers were sent to scenes of road blockages and fallen power lines. Mobile patrols warned people to take shelter. By midnight 150 non-police were sheltering at police stations. At 1 AM all call outs ceased, except where rescues to save lives were needed. Three such rescues were made.

At daylight mobile patrols resumed; road clearance was attempted; medical aid was found for the injured; and mortuaries were set up. Patrols estimated that 90% of all Darwin buildings were damaged or destroyed, and that the destruction was complete in parts of the northern suburbs. At 8 AM the Commissioner called a meeting at which police responses were allocated. An approach was made to school authorities for formal permission to use schools as emergency centres. Permission to deal with bodies was obtained from the coroner. Morgues were set up at police stations. Officers co-ordinated the establishment of cooking, hygiene, first aid, and recording facilities at the school emergency centres. Searches for dead and injured in the worst hit areas were begun.

During Christmas morning several public service, community, and emergency service leaders made their way to police headquarters. As a result, the Commissioner convened a "leadership" meeting at 2 PM. It was agreed to evaluate damage and to meet again at 6 PM. The second meeting agreed "Darwin had, for the time being, ceased to exist as a city", and that damage was so serious that evacuation (of unspecified extent) would be necessary.

Within two days about 10,000 people had left, about half by road and half by air. The government promised full reimbursement of personal costs consequent on evacuation. In the end 25,628 people were evacuated by air, and 7,234 left by road. By 31 December 1974 only 10,638 people remained in Darwin. (Darwin previously was a town of 48,000 people..)