But the problems were the same. FEMA promised things that it didn't deliver. And because FEMA promised those things, people expected to be able to rely on them. FEMA promised a support structure that the local governments had every reason to expect would be there when it was needed. It wasn't. And not only that, but when there was any FEMA involvement, it often was in the form of interference with the efforts of the local governments and first responders.

Yes the problems were magnified in NO. But they were essentially the same problems in all of the locations, with varying degrees of disasterous consequences.