An explanation of the hurricane government help anger

First off, FEMA is helping. I'm sure they are working as they are directed to work. The issue has to do with the timing. The hurricane hit the NC mountains (and other areas but that is my focus for the discussion) on September 27th. That was two weeks ago. Nobody thought it would be this devastating that far inland. It was. It wrecked many small towns. So much so that they were essentially cut off from civilization. So these folks had no homes (destroyed by mud slides and flooding), no water (ironically they were inundated with water, just not the drinking kind), no food, no power, and no way to get out. They needed any help they could get. Thankfully, the local charities, churches, and people stepped up to provide what they could.

The issue comes in with the federal aid. They were very slow to arrive, and still seem to be slow to respond to the needs of these folks. You could jump in today and do all sorts of wonderful things, but they won't forget the time lag, the feeling of being ignored and forgotten. They won't forget the lives that could have been saved, but weren't. We still have no idea of the true death toll. It will be staggering.

Now, look at the events from FEMA.
apnews.com...

“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting,” Mayorkas said. “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.”

this is what was said. By the guy in charge of all the government groups responding. Then we have the older White House briefing by KJP, where she explained that FEMA money was going to help the Illegal crisis at the border. (the crisis that it took them 3 years to acknowledge)

"FEMA Regional Administrators have been meeting with city officials on site to coordinate — to coordinate available federal support from FEMA and other federal agencies," Jean-Pierre told reporters at the time.



"Funding is also available through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter program to eligible local governments and not-for-profit organizations upon request to support humanitarian relief for migrants," she added.

www.foxnews.com...

So if she was telling the truth then, any criticism about funding for FEMA being diverted to illegals is not only warranted, but needed. This was poor planning, for a self induced injury.

Fast forward to today, and if you bring up any of that, you are spreading "misinformation". Mention that FEMA is giving out $750 to folks, and that's not enough, misinformation. (they are doing just that, but apparently, they will offer more help later) To date, we have no idea what the process will be to help these people, how they will rebuild their lives, how they will survive the coming months (winter) with no jobs, no house, and no income. There may be help, but as of now, it's abstract. We just don't know, because nobody has told us.

So ignoring all the other noise, this alone is enough to warrant some deep criticism of a broken system with incredibly poor leadership.

a reply to: network dude

I was just reading this ....has anyone else seen?

Seems like they are just finding ways to push $$ one way and then pull it out the back door for something else

Fema spends $4.9bn on Covid in one month — 20 times more than on Hurricane Helene aid - LINK - X

Official documents reveal that Fema set aside $4.9 billion in coronavirus aid in September, although the pandemic was officially declared over more than 12 months ago

a reply to: network dude

Fox News just talked about a family of eleven being found at their home where they died because of lack of food and water.

Too little, too late. Caused by lack of leadership and poor planning.

We pay taxes for most of our lives yet don't get help when needed?

a reply to: BeyondKnowledge3

Was just reading this as well .... SAD

11 Members Of NC Family Found Dead In Helene Destruction - LINK



Then you have stuff like this ...just wOw ...Focus should be on ALL PEOPLE

FEMA: THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY NEEDS SPECIAL ATTENTION IN A HURRICANE - Video on X

a reply to: tarantulabite1

Fox seems to have left the mudslide out. From my experience with local stories, it is normal to get at least one part of any story wrong in a report.

originally posted by: network dude
..... The hurricane hit the NC mountains (and other areas but that is my focus for the discussion) on September 27th. That was two weeks ago. Nobody thought it would be this devastating that far inland. It was. .....

Nonsense.

Here is the pubic statement put out by NOAA, from two days before:

"UPDATED: September 25, 2024. ... This is a rare news release from NOAA for an operational weather event. We urge the news media to continue focusing the public’s attention on the major impacts from inland flooding expected along the path of Helene well after landfall."

"Hurricane Helene is predicted to make landfall Thursday evening along Florida’s northwest coast as a major hurricane, but NOAA’s National Weather Service is alerting communities that Helene’s flooding rainfall and high winds won’t be limited to the Gulf Coast and are expected to travel hundreds of miles inland."

"Helene is an unusually large storm, whose wind field extends as far as 275 miles from its center. Even well before landfall, heavy rainfall will begin in portions of the southeastern United States..., and will continue to move northward into the southern Appalachians region through Friday where storm total rainfall amounts are forecast to be up to 18 inches."

"The major flood risk includes the urban areas around Tallahassee, metro Atlanta and western North Carolina, including Asheville. Recent rainfall in these areas, especially the southern Appalachians, have left the grounds saturated and the river tributaries running high. Additional rainfall from Helene will exacerbate the existing flood risk. Extreme rainfall rates (i.e., torrential downpour) across the mountainous terrain of the southern Appalachians will likely inundate communities in its path with flash floods, landslides, and cause extensive river and stream flooding."

www.noaa.gov...

You are echoing the same idiotic bull# Trump put out on Sept. 30:

"Nobody thought this would be happening, especially now it’s so late in the season for hurricanes."

Number one, it wasn't late in the season for hurricanes; it was slightly past the halfway point, but still well within the middle of the statistical distribution. Number two, the Gulf of Mexico sea surface temperature was at record high temperatures.

Anyone who has any actual knowledge about how hurricanes work would know that those conditions are a setup for the perfect storm.

a reply to: Boomer1947

Ok, NOAA knew about it. Did they tell fema? Fema was busy with the government made lack of border problem and didn't notice it seems.

a reply to: network dude

So I was doing some digging and found this.

FEMA Declaration Process Timelines: Version December 2023

There is a process for declaring emergencies to FEMA. The document outlines the process.

Declaration Process Timelines

Introduction

The primary purpose of this document is to outline disaster declaration process timelines in a clear and concise manner for state, Tribal Nation, and territory (STT) governments. The timeline is separated into three stages: predeclaration, post-declaration, and other. Each stage includes the type of request being made, the necessary action or deadline required for each request, who the request is from and sent to, and additional resource documents.

If you look at the document it says that the Governor or Tribal Chief needs to submit a request for help.

The governor or Tribal Chief Executive should submit the request within 5 days after the need for assistance becomes apparent, but not longer than 30 days after the occurrence of the incident.

So it would seem that the help doesn't start rolling in till after the a Governor or Tribal Chief says, "Yo we need some help over here." Then not only that. FEMA has to start the logistics of gathering relief supplies and actually sending the supplies to the affected areas. And that process can take days to weeks.

I'm originally from Florida and lived through Hurricane Andrew. I got the see the massive relief process first hand. And let me tell you that the first peoples on the scene are the states National Guard. Then federal assistance comes in after. But it does come.

Here is an aspect that is being ignored. The money people apply to FEMA for after a hurricane is a loan right? To be paid back allegedly. Yet the money going to illegals from FEMA is not a loan it is a straight up hand out! Anyone else see the problem in all of that?

a reply to: grey580

Now Grey let's not forget that originally only 11 out of 90 counties FEMA declared a disaster. It had to be fought to get more. It was covered in a thread on here after the storm was over. Bureaucracy is usually unweildly and prone to being slow, especially by people so far removed from a disaster. So no FEMA gets cut NO slack.

a reply to: hangedman13

Here is an aspect that is being ignored. The money people apply to FEMA for after a hurricane is a loan right? To be paid back allegedly.

No. Not for most people.

Fact Check: FEMA’s $750 emergency aid to Hurricane Helene victims not a loan

Once approved for that cash, people could also be eligible for other forms of “individual assistance” from FEMA, such as funds for temporary housing and home repair costs, the announcement said.

But, If you're insurance covers emergency housing and repair costs, then you'll have to pay FEMA back. Double dipping, and all.

The social media posts, however, misinterpret, opens new tab FEMA guidelines, opens new tab that state disaster assistance does not have to be repaid in most cases except if aid recipients also get an insurance settlement or a grant from another source covering the same costs, such as temporary housing or home repairs.

Posted this in another thread, and ive seen it mentioned in a different thread.

now if your goods are not from "approved" vendors they try to block delivery to a disaster area.

There is a point to Fema, and it should exist in some form, BUT this form should be nuked from orbit just to be sure and then rebuilt without the 700 layers of red tape. Bring in the top disaster response people from waffle house and redesign everything with the purpose being how to be flexible and able to respond to different areas quickly, so lives are saved first then they can roll in the big stuff for clean up and rebuilding.

It should never have taken a week for fema to get to ashville.

a reply to: hangedman13

Was there an explanation given as to why the counties were not declared a disaster?

a reply to: Irishhaf

It should never have taken a week for fema to get to ashville.

I feel the same way. But then I think about the logistics for rendering aid for thousands of people. It's impossible to gather needed supplies in just a matter of days. The logistics involved don't allow for that. Much less the process to actually get the aid supplies to the affected areas.

a reply to: grey580

So the Governor of NC is the hang up? I can agree there. He's a tool and has been for 8 years. It's a shame more can't lead like Desantis.

originally posted by: grey580
a reply to: Irishhaf

It should never have taken a week for fema to get to ashville.

I feel the same way. But then I think about the logistics for rendering aid for thousands of people. It's impossible to gather needed supplies in just a matter of days. The logistics involved don't allow for that.

and yet, the local charities were able to start helping on the day after the storm. Be honest about the facts.

a reply to: network dude

It's not so much Desantis but also the entire infrastructure of the State of Florida is used to natural disasters. So they are geared up and ready for when they come. Almost all new construction since Andrew is coded to withstand hurricanes. So when one does hit it's easier to recover. Other states that don't have regular hurricanes are not prepared. Coming from Florida to Georgia, you can see that the infrastructure is not the same. (Though I am starting to see them replacing transmission line poles to the new standard.) And any sort of natural disaster that hits is going to cause a lot of damage. And will take time to repair. I will say one thing about GA though. When it comes to declaring an emergency. They are on top of things. The Governor declares a state of emergency ahead of time. I imagine so it's easier to get disaster funds from the fed.

a reply to: Sookiechacha

I'll reserve judgment on that till the smoke clears. Because I can see the aid from charities meeting that criteria. The devil is in the details you know. Also it still doesn't absolve them of the immigration mess. Tax payer money with no strings attached on top of money being used for flights from countries they are pulling immigrants from. Tax payers getting back money they paid in get preconditions, but the illegals get to pull from that money without any.

originally posted by: grey580
a reply to: network dude

It's not so much Desantis but also the entire infrastructure of the State of Florida is used to natural disasters. So they are geared up and ready for when they come. Almost all new construction since Andrew is coded to withstand hurricanes. So when one does hit it's easier to recover. Other states that don't have regular hurricanes are not prepared. Coming from Florida to Georgia, you can see that the infrastructure is not the same. (Though I am starting to see them replacing transmission line poles to the new standard.) And any sort of natural disaster that hits is going to cause a lot of damage. And will take time to repair. I will say one thing about GA though. When it comes to declaring an emergency. They are on top of things. The Governor declares a state of emergency ahead of time. I imagine so it's easier to get disaster funds from the fed.

I suppose TDS extends to RDS (republican derangement syndrome), but Desantis seems to deal with emergencies quite well. Roy Cooper does not. I don't live in Florida, so I can't say for sure, but from what I see and hear from NC, he's doing well.