Here’s an interesting recount of what happened during Katrina within the various government circles:

How Bush Blew It

Obviously the author makes his conclusion known in the title, but there is a lot of great information in it. It’s astounding that they couldn’t even decide what level of government should really be in charge. It’s also astounding to me that no one thought to really prepare anything before the hurricane struck. It seems obvious that you’d want to have supplies and personel ready.