Severe flooding of a major metropolitan city creates a completely different circumstance from any other kind of catastrophic occurrence. It initially causes harm as it sweeps in and then the longer the water remains in place the more serious the destruction can become. Severe flooding can also keep some people trapped within an area unable to get to needed supplies, while it keeps other people from getting into the same area to help those who are trapped. After Katrina came through, it would have been nice if we could have "started working" for ourselves, but that was precluded by the levee breeches and the extraordinary conditions that followed.
If you recall, things were so bad here that the citizens who had remained in the city during the storm were airlifted out for relocation to other states. Because of the inundation, the infrastructure of the New Orleans was destroyed. Nothing was functioning. The majority of the population, the people who evacuated before the storm (about 80%), were not allowed back into the city and surrounding areas for almost a month! The state police actually kept people out. We had no choice but to wait and hope that our homes would be inhabitable. A monumental number were not. For a city of nearly 500,000 that is a devastating situation and when everyone around you is in the same predicament, it's not something quickly made right.
Shortly after people were allowed to return, hurricane Rita headed our way. The city was ordered evacuated again. Though Rita's effects only brushed us, they knocked out the jury-rigged levees and that caused more flooding and set us even further back. It was a long time before things could have been considered even remotely "back to normal". You don't easily pick up and resume your life when the things that you depended on are not there anymore. We celebrated when the electricity stayed on all day without any down time. I was thrilled when a grocery opened and stayed open for more than a few hours or when Home Depot came back and had the things we need to make some repairs. Getting the mail again after many, many weeks was a joy. Getting a tree lifted out of the attic and getting the roof replaced were big events. You certainly can't imagine that we wouldn't have immediately started to work on our damaged properties if we had been able. New Orleans would not have made the personal progress that it has if everyone just sat back and waited.
So what you’re saying is we should continue to feel sorry for the people of New Orleans.
The same people that chose to live on the coast, in homes built on land UNDER sea level.
The same people that, in many cases, chose NOT to have flood insurance.
The same people that elected incompetent city and state leaders. Not once but repeatedly.
The same people that for decades have allowed corrupt politicians to funnel our tax dollars away from projects to build stronger protections.
The same people that allowed life saving transportation to sit idle while desperate people had no way out.
I’ve been through 4 hurricanes in a period of less than 5 months. My life choices allowed me to weather the storm. The people of New Orleans have made their bed and they can lie in it.