As someone pointed out, Katrina isn't the first disaster of this scope in the US. When a huge earthquake hit San Francisco in 1906, the response was quite rapid. There is a link below to a detailed timeline, but highlights copied below:
Earthquake hits at 5:13am.
A messenger arrived at Ft. Mason at 6:30 a.m. with orders from Gen. Funston to send all available troops to report to the mayor at the Hall of Justice. (FEDERAL RESPONSE)
First army troops from Fort Mason reported to Mayor Schmitz at the Hall of Justice around 7 a.m.
At 8 a.m., the 10th, 29th, 38th, 66th, 67th, 70th and 105th Companies of Coast Artillery, Troops I and K of the 14th Cavalry and the First, Ninth and 24th Batteries of Field Artillery arrived Downtown to take up patrol.
At 10 a.m. Headquarters and First Battalion 22nd Infantry, were brought from Ft. McDowell by boat, and were held for a time in reserve at O’Farrell St. They were later utilized as patrols and to assist the fire department.
At about 10:05 a.m. the DeForest Wireless Telegraph Station at San Diego radioed press reports of the disaster at San Francisco to the “U.S.S. Chicago.” Admiral Caspar Goodrich immediately ordered fires started under all boilers, and after a confirmation message from the Mayor of San Diego, the “Chicago” steamed at full speed for San Francisco. It was the first time wireless telegraphy was used in a major natural disaster.
At 10:30 a.m., the “U.S.S. Preble” from Mare Island, under the command of Lt. Frederick Newton Freeman, landed a hospital shore party at the foot of Howard St. to help the wounded and dying who sought help at Harbor Emergency Hospital.
Fort Miley troops, the 25th and 64th Companies Coast Artillery, arrived at 11:30 a.m.
Even with no TV or radio but only with telegraph communications, Washington acted faster in 1906 than in 2005 - Secretary of War Taft at 4 a.m. ordered 200,000 rations sent to San Francisco from the Vancouver Barracks.
Secretary Taft ordered all hospital, wall and conical tents sent to San Francisco from army posts at Vancouver; Forts Douglas, Logan, Snelling, Sheridan and Russell, from San Antonio and the Presidio of Monterey.
Secretary Taft wired Gen. Funston at 4:55 a.m. (less than 24 hours after the first quake) that all tents in the U.S. Army were en route to San Francisco.
NOW - I love theatre as much as the next person, but there is NO WAY Rice should have been watching SPAMALOT and buying shoes while New Orleans was getting swamped. She should have been in communications with other countries about disaster relief.
San Francisco 1906 Timeline