A week ago, President George W. Bush was standing against a backdrop of US warships in San Diego, praising the ­bravery of his soldiers in the war on terror and insisting that “we will not rest until victory is America’s and our freedom is secure”. He mentioned only briefly the hurricane that had hit New Orleans overnight.

Within hours it became clear, though, that the country was reeling from faced a ­disaster that will almost certainly surpass September 11 2001 in lives lost, families and businesses ruined and the national economy shaken. And, like As with ­September 11, the country faces a a long period of introspection is likely on why the most powerful government in the world was unable to protect its citizens.