The life and death situationss developed after the levees broke. Local and state authorities then panicked and dithered during a critical 12 hors after that. Besides I am reminded that a certain Illinois lawyer managed to do a pretty fair job in life and death situations.
The Corps of Engineers knew that levees had broken by noon on Monday, August 29. They also knew that the city would eventually fill with water. Why FEMA and DHS was not informed will come out in the hearings.
Yes, state and local officials did dither. But Chertoff should have been mobilizing on Tuesday, August 30.