Chapter 4. Who’s in charge here? Coordinating a multi-level response

The response to Hurricane Katrina involved many actors: volunteers, first responders, city and state officials, federal administrators, the military and the White House. In that first week, local organizations, the state and FEMA were quickly overwhelmed. Two challenges emerged during the first week: search and rescue, and the evacuation of survivors. This chapter analyzes how coordination efforts enabled and undermined joint efforts to provide an effective response.

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