ABSTRACT
The dramatic failures of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during Hurricane Katrina have been well-publicized and thoroughly dissected by the political process.1 Both critics and supporters of vigorous government responses to natural disasters have noted those failures and offered analyses of the reasons behind them.2 These discussions and analyses have led to some fairly minor changes in FEMA’s structure and operations for future crises.3 Despite FEMA’s massive failures, the debate to this point has been focused largely on improving the government’s response to future disasters and catastrophes. Policy makers and the public alike continue to assume that government must be responsible for nearly all disaster recovery activities.
