could've parked supplies in the southwest of FL and for the most part they would still be there.
Not so with this one. This was a "scrub the earth" storm.
Response is definitely not what we expect our government to be capable of. Some of the "rules of engagement" seem downright stupid now in hindsight. Requiring mayor and governer to ask for certain aspects of relief doesn't really consider that they simply may not be capable of asking for that assistance...or may be so overwhelmed as to not be able to handle the full responsibility of their duties (regardless of their capabilities).
However, if the federal government would have taken those state responsibilities away before this crisis, we would likely have been debating the "federal power grab" by the Dept of Home Sec.
Damned in you do, double damned when you don't.
At least we have John Wayne.