The precedent can be found in talking to disaster relief experts or studying past responses to hurricanes. The federal government is the key actor not the states who lack the money and the trained people to address it.

Florida is better than most in reacting to hurricanes, but if you think it does a great job study its response to major ones over the last twenty years. Having been a Floridian for 40+ plus years you will find its far from great and that even they rely to a large extent on the federal government.

__________________
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

and they do a far better job than Louisiana did and they were more competent in their actions, much like Texas was last year in evacuating Houston. A state move, not a federal one. And I've read plenty of analysis, most of it blaming Louisiana officials. But one doesn't need a lot of common sense to know that government money meant for flood control, but instead spent on a water fountain will result in trouble.

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All you need to know about the energy crisis:
ANWR Exploration Republicans: 91% Supported. Democrats: 86% Opposed.
Coal-to-liquid R's: 90% YES. D's: 78% NO.
Oil Shale Exploration R's: 90% YES. D's: 86% NO.
Outer Continental Shelf Exploration R's: 81% YES. D's: 83% NO.
Increased Refinery Capacity R's: 97% YES. D's: 96% NO

SUMMARY: 91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of America’s own oil and gas. 86% of House Democrats have historically voted against.

We could go round and round but I will simply state what disaster relief people will tell you one more time and leave it at that. The federal government does the heavy lifting when it comes to hurricanes not the states. Florida is much better than most, because it gets them more, but its own history is full of bungled efforts as well such the 92 Miami fiasco. And most states do little at all in this regard.

__________________
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

the state of Texas did the heavy lifting in the last one.

__________________
All you need to know about the energy crisis:
ANWR Exploration Republicans: 91% Supported. Democrats: 86% Opposed.
Coal-to-liquid R's: 90% YES. D's: 78% NO.
Oil Shale Exploration R's: 90% YES. D's: 86% NO.
Outer Continental Shelf Exploration R's: 81% YES. D's: 83% NO.
Increased Refinery Capacity R's: 97% YES. D's: 96% NO

SUMMARY: 91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of America’s own oil and gas. 86% of House Democrats have historically voted against.

Texas did not do the heavy lifting in any disaster clean up. Call their disaster relief office about this and ask them while you are at it where they would be without FEMA.

__________________
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away