The implication of the article, as you take it (not that you agree with the article - just saying that you take the article as saying this), is that FEMA had full command and control as of August 31. Even if it was entitled to it, FEMA didn't have it. And even if it had it, it has to rely of field reports provided by state or media actors in order to command and control effective relief.
And of course, none of what went down hinged on Chertoff's declaration of Incident of National Significance. The Coast Guard and others were out there working without FEMA orders.
No, that's not what I take to be the point of the article at all. The article (and especuially the headline) implies that help was not available without the declaration of the 31st, and that simply isn't true. First responders were out in force making rescues, shelters were set up throughout the region, supplies were being delivered, and other states and the Feds had sent help. It is simply not true that Federal help was slowed by virtue of the declaration of an Incident of National Significance being made two days after the hurricane, one day after the flood.
And of course, none of what went down hinged on Chertoff's declaration of Incident of National Significance.
Yes!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1484035/posts
Outside of the sort of anecdotal accounts of SNAFUs and true tragedies - which cannot possibly be prevented in a disaster of this scale - I simply have not heard exactly what should have happened, or been delivered, that was not.