Maybe so, but Florida has been pummeled by severe hurricanes plenty of times in the past (Andrew in 1992 as a prime example) and they took it in stride (relatively speaking, of course - I can't imagine what those folks have gone through time and time again and I don't mean to make light of the situation).

No, there was something unique about Katrina; the collapse of the levees, the failure to evacuate, and local, state and federal organizations pointing fingers back and forth. That whole situation was botched at every level before, during and after the storm. It also doesn't help that the whole area is below sea level and actually sinking.