Author Topic: Failed federal response in tornado crisis (Read 1121 times)

Conan The Librarian · « **on:** May 24, 2011, 05:54:17 PM »

The official death toll from Katrina was 1484, which is less than the 117 confirmed dead plus 1500 said to be missing in the tornado crisis, yet there is very little federal response. FEMA is helping state and local agencies search for people, but they aren't contributing much compared to the others.

Post Katrina most of new Orleans was intact, but today alone Joplin is devastated to the point of being unrecognizable by long time residents.

Then there was Mississippi, Alabama and parts of Tennessee that were razed by 200+ mph winds earlier this month. Now Oklahoma is being wrecked and people are dying as I write this.

Yet there is little federal response except the promise to show up in large numbers after it's too late to do any good.

President bush was reviled for doing the same things that this administration is doing. Why isn't that in the news?

PowPow · « **Reply #1 on:** May 25, 2011, 02:48:13 AM »

Hard to get the big FEMA machine crunk up.
With Katrina, they knew something was coming and had a chance to do some what-if thinking.
Who knows where next week's EF-5's will hit?

Swampman · « **Reply #2 on:** May 25, 2011, 03:29:24 AM »

Why should there be any Federal response? It's not the government's job to care for us. You either have insurance or you don't.

BUGEYE · « **Reply #3 on:** May 25, 2011, 03:59:29 AM »

Quote from: Swampman on May 25, 2011, 03:29:24 AM

Why should there be any Federal response? It's not the government's job to care for us. You either have insurance or you don't.

I agree. we have become a nation with our hands out.
if you can afford a house, you can afford insurance.

magooch · « **Reply #4 on:** May 25, 2011, 04:07:22 AM »

I'm thinking that the people who have been hit by this rash of tornados are fine with the obamanation not showing up. For him to make an appearance would be to add insult to injury.

What I'm sure of is that if Dubya were still President, the liberals would be blaming him for causing the tornados.

Don't you have to have special insurance (other than home owners) for tornados?

Old Fart · « **Reply #5 on:** May 25, 2011, 04:31:58 AM »

I believe that tornados are covered in your regular home owners policy in the alley.
I know mine is.

Just about one year ago my brother inlaw lost everything in a tornado.
He took a direct hit. He and his wife rode it out in a closet.
After it had blown over they came out and found all they had left was the four walls of the closet.
Insurance paid off and he's in a new place now.

Old Fart · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2011, 04:35:40 AM »

Also historically Okies don't usually sit around waiting on help.
They just get out there and pick up the pieces and start over.
I figure the folks in Arkansas and Missouri will do the same.

DEACONLLB · « **Reply #7 on:** May 25, 2011, 05:57:55 AM »

Back in 1984 at 11:45 pm a EF5 hit Morris oklahoma where I live only we live out of town 4 miles, tornado went 1 mile north of us took out my buisness as well as 3/4 of all the others. town looked like Joplan, FEMA came in and set up shop in school and gave every one that ask for help a stack of papers to fill out that was an inch thick, Of course the Governer and all the media came in and walked around town took lots of pictures and left. I know of 2 people that FEMA helped The rest of us picked up our tools and gloves and went to work cleaning up, Salvation army came in with a food truck and stayed 2 weeks with food water for the workers, local dump owner let every one dump at no charge those of us who had insurance got paid for our loss, 8 people lost their lives and took close to 5 years to get the town back to where it was before storm, some moved and never came back. So if you look to the goverment to help you good luck, like old fart said we Okies take matters into our own hands and help each other.

Deaconllb

Conan The Librarian · « **Reply #8 on:** May 25, 2011, 07:11:27 AM »

...and the cost to the Salvation Army was probably about $200K and the cost to FEMA was $4.15 Billion. FEMA is probably still processing the claims.

wreckhog · « **Reply #9 on:** May 25, 2011, 07:48:48 AM »

Anyone that has read The Three Little Pigs knows that you build a concrete house in tornado alley. No sympathy here.

bigMikeA · « **Reply #10 on:** May 25, 2011, 11:05:49 AM »

Quote from: wreckhog on May 25, 2011, 07:48:48 AM

Anyone that has read The Three Little Pigs knows that you build a concrete house in tornado alley. No sympathy here.

I'm speechless....

myronman3 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 25, 2011, 01:26:38 PM »

ignore him. one day his words and callousness will catch up with him.

when it hits the fan, all you can count on is yourself. if you are lucky, you will have good people around you to band with and help each other. but again, i would never count on that.

make sure you have a plan and your family knows it. if you have kids, rehearse it a few times. a few minutes of preparation could save your children's lives.

Old Fart · « **Reply #12 on:** May 25, 2011, 05:00:47 PM »

Here's an interesting article.
Where to live to avoid natural disasters.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/05/01/weekinreview/01safe.html

bigMikeA · « **Reply #13 on:** May 27, 2011, 04:15:52 PM »

Quote from: wreckhog on May 25, 2011, 07:48:48 AM

Anyone that has read The Three Little Pigs knows that you build a concrete house in tornado alley. No sympathy here.

I am resurrecting this... I cannot believe the general membership has nothing to say about this post. How insensitive....

seems the leftist members been getting quite a free ride lately; my goodness!!

Hooker · « **Reply #14 on:** May 27, 2011, 04:39:27 PM »

bigMikeA that post deserves nothing.

Pat

bigMikeA · « **Reply #15 on:** May 27, 2011, 04:43:27 PM »

Quote from: Hooker on May 27, 2011, 04:39:27 PM

bigMikeA that post deserves nothing.

Pat

yeah... you are absolutely correct and I cannot argue with that. BUT... if nobody says anything, then what?

Swampman · « **Reply #16 on:** May 27, 2011, 05:14:04 PM »

Buy insurance or do without. Seems simple enough.

Hooker · « **Reply #17 on:** May 27, 2011, 05:16:08 PM »

Don't feed the trolls and they will go away.

Pat

The Hermit · « **Reply #18 on:** May 27, 2011, 05:32:41 PM »

Too bad that we can't use the troops that we have in Libya, fighting an undeclared war, and bring them to the US to help out in emergencies and to protect OUR Borders. Maybe the UN will send troops and money. Ya, right.

Obama?? Sorry, he's too busy trying to impress the europeans.

I have never been impressed with FEMA or the Red Cross as I have personally witnessed some of their responses and good luck with your insurance.

If one gets to personally see the aftermath of a crisis anywhere on this planet and are not moved to help or express concern, then you are pretty much heartless. My hope is that you or your family, never need help.

The Hermit

hunt-m-up · « **Reply #19 on:** May 28, 2011, 02:04:14 AM »

While the nature of these disasters were quite different, I still suspect the difference is in how the general populace handled each situation. In one case they sat around and bitched until they got some attention or just walked off and left everything. I'm sure the chainsaws were running in Joplin as soon as they could find their gascans. For the few of you that did your part to put NOLA back together, thank you.

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 28, 2011, 02:55:26 AM »

there are many now that believe its big brothers job to take care of these needs ..
i prefer the local brothers getting out an helping brothers, approach..lets pray for the people affected by these things ,also help if we can...we all should know our time is probably coming..
yall have a good day. slim

Swampman · « **Reply #21 on:** May 28, 2011, 03:03:34 AM »

Here on the FL Gulf Coast we have events like this frequently. We just take care of our own needs. If you send money, those in charge usually steal it or use it to keep their bankrupt charity afloat so they'll have a job. The officals provide no protection for life or property. Help yourself and you won't be disappointed.

powderman · « **Reply #22 on:** May 28, 2011, 04:45:55 AM »

For the obamination to visit Joplin would be like rubbing salt in the wound. I don't think there are enough blacks in the affected area of Joplin to get the obaminations attention.
BIG MIKE. We mostly try to ignore the ignorant crap that comes from wreck. No sense wallowing in the mud with him, or her. POWDERMAN.

magooch · « **Reply #23 on:** May 28, 2011, 04:54:15 AM »

Wow, according to the map, I'm living in a very green area. The only thing is that they sort of forgot about volcanoes and floods. Having had the opportunity to enjoy a flood, ours was a tiny blip compared to what the South and Midwest is having right now. The year we had the flood was the one year that we didn't carry flood insurance. We carried prior to the flood and we've carried it since, but that's another story.

The net result of the federal government coming in and giving us a hand was that they gave out a whole bunch of bad information and we ended up getting audited by the IRS. We (all of us) were told that we could write off the uninsured losses on our income tax for a three year period. We did exactly as we were told by a federal government agent. The problem was that there was a lot of estimating, etc. and in my particular case, I did all of the repairs myself. When you do your own repairs, you must pay yourself an hourly wage in order to claim the loss. You pay youself a wage and you must claim it as income. It becomes a wash. That IRS audit cost me a heck of a lot more than the flood.

The bottom line is that there is no such thing as a disaster proof area. Some places are more prone than others and we can't all live in the same few green areas, so we do what we have to do.

garbhead · « **Reply #24 on:** May 28, 2011, 05:14:04 AM »

I just read that the nutjobs from Westboro Baptist Church are planning on being in Joplin on Sunday...their flier said "Thank God for 125 Dead in Joplin" ... that will really be salt in the wound

Shu · « **Reply #25 on:** May 28, 2011, 05:21:32 AM »

Obviously this is all Bush's fault.

People live in different areas for different reasons. I don't live in Alaska becuase it snows 24/7/365 etc. Actually I live where there was a job available and make do with what I have. You talk about insuarances, try buying earthquake insuarance. It is very expensive and practically useless. Always have a plan in case of a disaster and self reliance is your best bet.

As far as people without manners etc. Most here are great upstanding people from varied walks of life and are great. There are a few that should be seen and not heard though.

powderman · « **Reply #26 on:** May 28, 2011, 08:08:27 AM »

If the westboro trash shows up I hope they are treated like the scum they are. POWDERMAN.

DDZ · « **Reply #27 on:** May 28, 2011, 01:23:56 PM »

To insure help from the government when a disaster hits. Pick a state to live in that is a battle ground state in an important election year. Or pick a state that has a Governor of the same party that has the white house. Or a state where most of the FEMA leadership is from.
Remember our government is not our friends anymore. They pretend like they are there to help, but in reality, are just piling up dependency, or votes to enhance their power.
Government taking peoples money and trying to help disaster victims does not work very well. Our government is so inept at anything they do. Its people helping people that works the best. How did we ever survive in the past, before government started running to the rescue with piles of tax payer dollars?

victorcharlie · « **Reply #28 on:** May 29, 2011, 02:51:44 AM »

Quote from: Swampman on May 25, 2011, 03:29:24 AM

Why should there be any Federal response? It's not the government's job to care for us. You either have insurance or you don't.

Yep, I don't get it either. Buy good insurance.

Spirithawk · « **Reply #29 on:** May 30, 2011, 02:41:34 AM »

People say don't live in tornado alley. Well, I guess one shouldn't live where there are earth quakes, floods, huricanes, mud slides, wild fires, ect. That would put an awful lot of people squeezed into some mighty small areas now wouldn't it? It's easy to sit in your comfy home and point fingers.....untill it happens to you. The people of Joplin have not asked for help all they asked for was prayers. To critisize them is nothing less than ignorant and self righteous dribble! A large number killed were ripped from vehicles and in buisenesses like Home Depo and Wal Mart. People judging them aren't what is right with America....THEY"RE WHAT'S WRONG with America!