"The original Federal Disaster Declaration... does not include New Orleans"

From Why Now:

FEMA's Initial Screw-Up

The original Federal Disaster Declaration issued on August 27th included every parish in Louisiana except those likely to be struck. It does not include New Orleans or the surrounding area.

A second Disaster Declaration that included New Orleans was not issued until August 29th.

Yes, it's true, the most f*cked up of all f*cked up bureaucracies, the cesspool of former Bush-Cheney staffers appointed by the Master of Disaster George W. Bush., the agency that assigns firefighters to publicize a phone number, these fools couldn't even figure out that when a massive storm is headed from the ocean to the land, that the land closest to the ocean will get it, and get it the worst.

Cl*sterf*ck beyond cl*sterf*ck.