Boy Howdy! You are trying to stir up some trouble here, aren't you?
I could say all sorts of things about how these people aren't sitting around waiting for someone else to save them. They are being proactive - out filling and stacking sandbags, evacuating in advance, etc. But I think also that its not so many people in one concentrated area. Even if you consider the cities in the path of the flooding, none of them alone are as large as New Orleans.
I would like to say that maybe we learned something from the Katrina mess and local area governments are just being better at informing people ahead of time and taking care of as much as they possibly can. But I think, rather, it is in large part the contrast between the mid-western practical sensibilities and self sufficient attitude as compared to the low income, victim mentality seen a few years ago.
Then again, lets give credit (and pass blame) where it is due. The local and state governments have done a pretty good job of preparing the best they can this year. As opposed to those government officials who waited until it was too late to decide to do anything. And really, kudos to those who are out there volunteering to fill and stack sandbags to save their own homes and businesses.