I agree with all you have said, but number six needs a little clarification.
The federal gov't is not supposed to be the first responder. As a matter of fact, FEMA is not allowed to come in until after the state and local emergency plan has been implemented. In this case the local and state plans were never implemented and FEMA's request that they be allowed to direct the efforts were turned down.
That is my only point. People have to be prepared to help themselves, and their local and state governments have to be as prepared as possible.
In the end...even if all the government entities work, there are going to be times when people have to get by on their own for a period of time...and, IMHO, the longer individuals are prepared to do that, the better.
That is not true. In a state of national emergency, the president is empowered to send in the National Guard, and to put the Head of State of the Department of Homeland Security in charge of the response -- no matter what local officials do. This information can be found in the National Response Plan on the DHS website, as well as in the Stafford Act, which was activated by the governor's declaration of a state of emergency on August 26 (as well as by the federal government's declaration of a state of emergency).