Don't Expect a Quick Response in Storm or Natural Disaster

During April portions of Alabama were hit hard by tornadoes, flooding and high speed, damaging, straight-line winds. A series of severe storms came through from the beginning of the month almost through the end of the month.

TODAY, almost a month after the first people experienced enough damage to not live in their homes, President Obama signs the paperwork declaring specific counties in Alabama as disaster areas. This could have been done within a few days of the first storms and amended to include new counties as necessary.

Having survived Katrina (and 11 other hurricanes), I cannot even imagine an administration that would delay almost a month to sign the paperwork that will allow access to Federal Aid monies for rebuilding/repair.

Even homeowners with insurance are affected by this kind of delay. If your area is declared a disaster area, you get processed MUCH faster by your own insurance company, also the "pay schedule" for damages changes with a declaration of disaster, usually to the homeowner's advantage.

A map of SOME damage reports, some with pics

With hurricane season upon us, I fear how poor a response any affected areas will receive with this administration, which apparently feels that waiting a month after the initial damage is just fine & dandy for everyone involved.

Red...the last thing this country needs right now is a natural disaster. We can't handle it.

I have family that lives in Florida..that took Hurricane Charley head on as the eye passed over them. It completely devastated the area. It has been rebuilding...but it simply cannot handle another one.

Let's hope for no hurricanes this year.

Things are bad enough...

And as for Obama....I don't understand why he wasn't all over this...he certainly hasn't wasted any time spending money in other places.

The banks get all the taxpayer money they can handle at the expense of those who need it! and that's all of us.

They could have payed off all the mortgages of people who were falling behind and getting foreclosed on...but instead just pumped the banks full of money!

It's madness really and makes no sense whatsoever.

Now interest rates are going to RISE and it's going to be even more difficult for people to buy a home...which quite frankly is risky in doing anyway with the economy the way it is!

reply to post by David9176


Can you imagine the outrage if the Obama Admin took a month to declare Cali a disaster area from wildfires?

I empathize with your family, My mother (in her 80's) was hit with 4 storms one year. I had to go out & do clean-up and hire repairmen. Even then, with damage from 4 storms, she didn't qualify for federal aid.

Look at what Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana & Texas have been through in the last few years with hurricanes alone. Then there was Ike which traveled up all the way to Indiana causing damage.

It's true, the last thing we need right now is another devastating storm. Unfortunately, it may happen regardless of our ability to deal with it.

I cannot imagine another time when the Federal Government delayed almost a month to declare an emergency on an area where a large amount of people and businesses were affected by storm damage and the power outages that go with them.

What is even scarier to contemplate is - what if the Federal Government response time works like the closing of Chrysler dealerships, by who they supported in the election?

How bad could it get for Americans?

"A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilisation."
~Samuel Johnson, Boswell: Life of Johnson

It's terrible that people are being trained by the government to believe it can't help them.

I believe people behind the scenes are trying to make people so disgusted with their governments that they will tear them down and pave the way for one world government.


Both republican and democrat governments have turned their backs on the people.

Originally posted by Kailassa

"A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilisation."
~Samuel Johnson, Boswell: Life of Johnson

It's terrible that people are being trained by the government to believe it can't help them.www.abovetopsecret.com...

I believe people behind the scenes are trying to make people so disgusted with their governments that they will tear them down and pave the way for one world government.


Both republican and democrat governments have turned their backs on the people.

www.abovetopsecret.com... guess we live in different worlds.
I am of the thought that it is terrible that people are of the belief that the government should help.
I want no part of the Federal Government doing anything for me.
I know for a fact that once you're in their system, you don't get out easily. I do not call that liberty.
All I want them to do is get the hell out of the way, let my insurance do what it has contracted to and if they (insurers), balk at making good on our contract, that's what the courts are for.
And as a preemptive note, please don't equate the courts to federal nose wiping.

reply to post by LAUGHING-CAT


Laughing-Cat, i am with you on personal items.

But what about the city & county governments who lose their buildings. Federally protected historic sites, roadways that get destroyed in flooding, etc.?

Without the state being declared (via the Federal Gov) a disaster area, access to funds that are "supposed" to be set aside just for such circumstances is cut off.

Governments also have to rebuild things that belong to them when disasters strike.