ABSTRACT
When Hurricane Katrina hit land on August 29, 2005, it not only devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region, it also made visible the importance of emergency management. Even though storm trackers provided a four-day warning, government agencies responsible for dealing with emergencies were inept and uncoordinated. Obviously, some of the property damage from winds and floods could not have been prevented. Just as clearly, hundreds of lives-especially of poor and vulnerable people-could have been saved. Survivors could have been served more effectively.1 The problem was a dramatic failure in governance and public administration.
