Granted nature caught everybody flatfooted. Granted it takes some time to organize relief efforts. However, every hour of delay, in providing relief, over 72 hours illustrates incompetence. As to the state and local officials simple visual inspection indicates that they are performing exactly as one would expect!
The problem is likely that all forward staging areas were also destroyed.
Most people can survive a few days without creature comforts. Some can't. Each caregiving center is supposed to have a plan, and they probably did, but made wrong assumptions.
The federal government cannot be expected to know that some hospital on 7th street in new orleans has a generator in the basement that will flood if there is any levy break.
Until this happened, I presumed that the N.O. pumps were all either above sea level, or protected by waterproof walls. And that generators would be on the roof, and the water system would be protected.
Apparently not.