standard request any Governor makes when a disaster area has been declared. Helps free up funding cash etc. FEMA was in the state Sunday prepositioning aid etc. Tuesday it looked like MS got the brunt of it and so efforts began to focus there and it ws assumed I guess that local authorities would take care of most of the immediate concerncs in NOLA.. then the new "Hurricane Proof" 17th St Canal Broke open. Waters flooded late Monday night through Tuesday mid-morning and NOLA went 80% underwater.
What the Gov't did in 3 short days is nothing short of a Miracle. Sure there were failings, but that was more on Local and State and the Feds had to overcome those. Bush did hte absolute right thing recognizing these failing and getting Lt Gen Honore down there.
Don't forget that on Tuesday morning Katrina was still at tropical-storm strength and the eye was just then crossing the Mississippi/Tennessee border. The storm strength winds still extended out several hundred miles to where the pre-positioned material and personnel were at that point.