[Tall_Texan]

To say that they should have been moved to high ground before the storm is hindsight B.S.

I disagree. It's a lack of planning:
1) A Category 5 hurricane is coming straight at you.
2) The city is below sea level and the levees are built to hold up against a Category 3 hurricane.
3) The situation is dire enough that everyone from the president on down is urging people to get out of the area and seek shelter.

It was no mystery that the town was likely to be flooded. Mother nature actually gave them an additional 24 hours to get out before the levees broke.

This is a massive failure to plan coupled with a stubborn populace many of whom either didn't understand the danger or chose to ignore it.

[K-oneTexas]

Lack of planning, yes most definitely.

But more. It is a lack of common sense.