There are people in NYC about whom I have been reading. They could not get to work because the transportation system was shut down. Many are workers who get paid by the hour, are living on a shoestring, and will not get compensated for hours lost.

In my question, I did not refer to Obama.
I referred to the government. That includes local people like Christie and Bloomberg. People who have been out front in the news.

I am not interested in failure or success since I don't know what that means in this context. I don't know what the government, local or federal is setting as its goals.

I, personally would like people who are the most vulnerable, to be compensated financially for losses incurred by a situation that was not of their own making.

Low interest loans wouldn't do too much for people who cannot repay loans. I don't know if these have been offered.

What I have seen are appeals for citizens to contribute to the Red Cross, which is not, to my knowledge, a government agency.

As you know, I am cynical about government.
WNYC printed this quote from a Staten Island resident who is praising FEMA for their response:

I got my claim number in already, the guy said he's going to call me in a couple of days," she says. "He's going to come out and estimate, and they said, listen, whatever doesn't work, they're going to help us put stuff in storage."

My reaction, tempered by cynicism, is to ask for a follow-up for this person. I would like to know that she did indeed receive a call in "a couple of days". I would also hope that they could do more for her than help her put her "stuff in storage".

And no.
I am not hoping for failure.

I know about the heroism of the first responders. I know about helping to evacuate people who were trapped. I know that part.

What I don't know about is how or if government can or will help by helping people with actually no-strings financial aid. That is, money.

I am compelled to add this sentence to my reply:

From the article published which reports glowing reports from people about FEMA - contrasting it today to its disastrous response during the Bush era:

It ends with this sentence:

Officials know all too well the reviews of FEMA are likely to become less glowing with each day that passes that the lights remain out and people like Smith can't move back into their homes.

That is a quote from "officials".
They are anticipating that the reviews of FEMA are likely to become "less glowing" with each passing day.