Isn't this more rather than less formalized? A modern executive would not have to immediately go to congress to deal with such a problem. It might have to engag

Isn't this more rather than less formalized? A modern executive would not have to immediately go to congress to deal with such a problem. It might have to engage later to sort out whatever financial issues arise but it could and would act immediately. To put federal disaster response in a bit of context - in 1929, the president of the United States wasn't entirely convinced the federal government had much of a role in dealing with the Great Depression.