http://www.fema.gov/about/history.shtm Read The First Paragraph. "The Federal Emergency Management Agency - a former independent agency that became part of the new Department of Homeland Security in March 2003 - is tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating against disasters. FEMA can trace its beginnings to the Congressional Act of 1803. This act, generally considered the first piece of disaster legislation, provided assistance to a New Hampshire town following an extensive fire. In the century that followed, ad hoc legislation was passed more than 100 times in response to hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters." The precedent in the United States of America is that the Federal Government is responsible for protecting against and responding to Natural Disasters, end of story. Blaming a mayor of a local city is the equivilant of blaming a soldier for losing or winning a war.