Look, I am “small government”, “keep the government out of my life as much as possible” conservative, as much as the next conservative. But I am a “small government”, “limited government” conservative, not a “no government” Libertarian.
Major natural catastrophes are extraordinary circumstances that represent the exception that proves the rule - security is the first thing (main thing) the government is required to do, or your freedom is but a notion, not a reality.
Should I take as much effort and responsibility to secure my own family? Yes. Does that limit the role of government to folding its arms and depending on my efforts alone, particularly in a major natural catastrophe? No. In fact, it has an obligation to be pro-active in its concerns and its actions and to give notice of what are the best actions people should take (because its information should be more complete, more robust) and it should be ready and able to demand that some of those best actions be taken and to offer assistance for members of its community to attain those best actions, for those who might need it.
To rely on all citizens to take a Libertarian approach and for the officials to wait, arms folded, and rely on nothing but individual citizens own actions, in those extreme circumstances, is an abdication of the concept of having any government at all. The dividing line is morality. Yes we each of a certain philosophical moral obligation for self-responsibility, while government, in those circumstances, has a legal moral obligation towards the whole community for the community role we, freely, assign to it.
Many Libertarians seem to be unable to realize the difference between philosophical purity and human reality, with regard to the moral obligations we have as individuals and the moral obligations we have as communities. Which is why I have never embraced the anarchy of the Libertarian purists.
I understand what you are saying and I agree but in times of extreme emergency the family must get back to learning how to think and do for themselves and their dependent family members. My point is that needs to be dealt with honestly is that families need to take responsibility where they can.
That frees up the often very limited resources for those who don’t have any family to help. Too many people simply dump their elders off in a very understaffed environment and then leave everything up to those people who have their own families to worry about.
That issue is being discussed at least in my part of the state.
http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7054308&nav=menu66_3