A commentary on an article by ian Birdsall that appeared in Administration & Society, vol. 41, July 2009. In his article, Birdsall presented a personal account of his experiences of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, with particular emphasis on the inadequacy of the response of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the disaster. The writer points out that in the event of a disaster, local governments are the first responders and that FEMA provides financial support for the emergency response work of the community and the recovery work carried out on community infrastructure but rarely for individuals, who can avail of more direct assistance from other agencies.