New Orleans officials should've taken precautions

"New Orleans officials, in particular, were enraged about what they said was a slow federal response." In my mind, New Orleans and Louisiana officials know their region best. They should have been better prepared for this type of event. There should have been a plan on the shelf in case a Cat 5 hurricane occurred. There should have been a plan on the shelf if the levees were breached.

These plans should have included much more than issuing a mandatory evacuation. They should have included plans to evacuate those who are too poor, old, or ill to evacuate themselves.

Why should the federal government be on the hook for New Orleans' lack of planning? I'm not trying to be insensitive to the plight of the people now that the catastrophic event has occurred. I'm not trying to imply that the federal government has no responsibility in responding to this crisis. I just get fed up when people push the blame to others when they haven't made the effort to help themselves.