Margie
Senior Storm Chaser
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Loc: Twin Cities
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Word is that even after a week, FEMA is still not in Jackson County, and that county and city officials gave up waiting for them after three days, and have been trying to do what they can on their own. Apparently the focus has been on Harrison County, and the only thing that has come to Jackson County is water, ice, and some food.
The Red Cross presence has been barely visible, and is completely overshadowed by church organizations, who have managed to drive down truckloads of supplies on their own.
This is very upsetting...I hope that things change soon.
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Katrina's Surge: http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/Katrinas_surge_contents.asp
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CoalCracker
Weather Hobbyist
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Loc: Cape Coral, FL
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There's no doubt that if it weren't for relief taken by local grass roots organizations, particularly church groups in the areas to the north and east of Mississippi and Alabama, folks would be hurting much more than they are. Seems to me that the federal and state governmental agencies established to help collapsed under a combination of shock, indecision, and bureaucratic red tape. Lesson I've learned is DON"T depend on the government for assistance in a disaster because it may not be there in a timely manner. I'll be augmenting my hurricane/disaster preparedness supplies to include MREs and a few other items I couldn't have dreamed I'd be purchasing a week ago.
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Margie
Senior Storm Chaser
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Loc: Twin Cities
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What's even worse is that MS is off the front page of all the major news orgs...the Mississippi Press has been putting out a morning and evening edition since Tuesday morning (!), by working over in Mobile at the Mobile Register. Again...these are folks that have lost their homes.
Anyway they're writing these articles and putting them out on the AP and no one is picking them up. The only one I know of that was picked up was a story about the Jackson County coroner...apparently the only thing the big news orgs are interested in is dead bodies.
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Katrina's Surge: http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/Katrinas_surge_contents.asp
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Margie
Senior Storm Chaser
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Loc: Twin Cities
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FEMA has announced they will not be in Jackson County for two more weeks, so local officials cannot bid out any repairs in the meanwhile for road repair, sewer, electric, etc. FEMA says they cannot even have debris cleared, except for moving it off of a roadway, because otherwise it may not have been the low bid and FEMA will not reimburse them, and because FEMA is considering having all debris cleared by Army Corps of Engineers.
The reason FEMA gave for the two-week wait was that they wanted housing and food for "their people" to be set up before they came. About 90% of the people in the city of Pascagoula alone do not have housing at the moment.
I thought their job would be to be prepared to bring their own infrastructure with them, since by definition they would be going into a location that was destroyed. But apparently this is not the case. So now not only can city and county officials not improve the situation in the county, for instance work on getting clean drinking water for everyone, but now they have the additional burden of providing infrastructure for FEMA workers, while they continue to go without themselves.
Meanwhile...Jackson County is actually in the best shape of the three coastal counties. Since the situation in Harrison, and I suspect Hancock as well, is about to become untenable, you'd think since Jackson County is raring to go with cleanup, FEMA would want to encourage it, so they'd have an easier time getting to Harrison County.
My SIL's brother who lost his home in Ocean Springs is staying with friends in Biloxi but says now the smell of the bodies permates the air everywhere. We're trying to talk him into leaving before the gas shortage prevents him from doing so. I think it is only a matter of time in those other two counties before everyone has to be removed quickly because of the possible spread of disease. I think that time is coming very quickly, in the next couple days.
(Lets leave the job of moderation to the Moderators)
Edited by Ed Dunham (Mon Sep 05 2005 11:38 PM)
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CoalCracker
Weather Hobbyist
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Loc: Cape Coral, FL
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Lord, doesn't FEMA realize their objective is to do everything possible to alleviate the suffering and prevent further health and safety issues?! To hell with the procedures of waiting for FEMA to approve bids. Let the local people get the job done as quickly as possible and analyze the costs later. God help us if another storm hits the states because He's the only one who will help based on FEMA's current thinking and state of preparedness.
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danielw
Moderator
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Loc: Hattiesburg,MS (31.3N 89.3W)
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They aren't in Forrest County either. I have seen Ice and Water trucks (18 wheelers) but nothing else.
Our Local EOC Director told two FEMA reps to leave after giving their opinions and ideas, since they Could Not Help. He told them he didn't have Fuel for them to ride around and to get out of town. I believe that was Saturday.
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Margie
Senior Storm Chaser
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Loc: Twin Cities
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Quote:
They aren't in Forrest County either. I have seen Ice and Water trucks (18 wheelers) but nothing else.
Our Local EOC Director told two FEMA reps to leave after giving their opinions and ideas, since they Could Not Help. He told them he didn't have Fuel for them to ride around and to get out of town. I believe that was Saturday.
Well good for him; that is so cool!
It's incredible. I can't even sleep thinking about the monstrous inequity of it.
I really think that the coastal counties are between a rock and a hard place. Where are they going to get the money to pay for the needed repairs if they (rightfully) tell FEMA to go jump in the gulf.
I am starting to get paranoid and thinking, Haliburton wants all the contracts, and told FEMA to stall until it could get all its manpower and equipment over there.
I wouldn't care if it didn't affect lives. People can't even bathe in the water because of the bad bacteria. How can you say to wait two weeks to start working on the overflowing sewer system and water treatment plants?
I wish Bill Gates or Donald Trump would step in and write a check directly to the counties.
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Katrina's Surge: http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/Katrinas_surge_contents.asp
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Ed Dunham
Former Meteorologist & CFHC Forum Moderator (Ed Passed Away on May 14, 2017)
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Loc: Melbourne, FL
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...and focus on the tropics - the real purpose of this site. It has been over a week since made landfall and it will be many years before the affected area returns to full recovery. The period for 'rant and rave and indignation' needs to give way to a more productive activity. I'd really like to see the Disaster Forum used for what it was intended for. Lets help link folks together. Lets point out assistance centers for those that need them. Thanks for your assistance.
ED
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Margie
Senior Storm Chaser
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Posts: 1191
Loc: Twin Cities
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Quote:
...and focus on the tropics - the real purpose of this site. It has been over a week since made landfall and it will be many years before the affected area returns to full recovery. The period for 'rant and rave and indignation' needs to give way to a more productive activity. I'd really like to see the Disaster Forum used for what it was intended for. Lets help link folks together. Lets point out assistance centers for those that need them. Thanks for your assistance.
ED
Don't write off 100 miles of people left on a debris-ridden coastline, by not caring. I cannot and will not forget. They aren't even in the news, not at all. The country doesn't know about them. And they're not getting help.
When people are in a situation like that, getting the word out is the best thing that you can do, and to turn away is a cowardly thing. To censor it is even worse. You're writing those people off just like they tried to do with the folks in the Superdome in New Orleans.
It is a disaster, you know. This is the disaster forum. What do you want us to talk about, buttercups and daisies, pretend it isn't happening?
You tell me - what is the productive post? Go ahead, and post something productive. Show me what it is you think would be the productive thing to say. I'm listening.
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Katrina's Surge: http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/Katrinas_surge_contents.asp
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I think youre going a little overboard here Margie. Nobody is forgetting about this terrible tragedy! Maybe you should turn your anger on the key board into energy and try and find more resources to help these people.. Write the state and local officials the congressmen, FEMA and everyne else that you feel is at fault. Although your posts have been extremely informative, no offense but I think you are a little to hostile on this weather site... The whole deal is horrible! and I highly doubt anyone here is trying to forget about it.
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Margie
Senior Storm Chaser
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Posts: 1191
Loc: Twin Cities
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Quote:
I think youre going a little overboard here Margie. Nobody is forgetting about this terrible tragedy! Maybe you should turn your anger on the key board into energy and try and find more resources to help these people.. Write the state and local officials the congressmen, FEMA and everyne else that you feel is at fault. Although your posts have been extremely informative, no offense but I think you are a little to hostile on this weather site... The whole deal is horrible! and I highly doubt anyone here is trying to forget about it.
With almost 100% of the coverage on one city, NOLA, no, it is not time to forget about it. Most of the country doesn't even know about it yet, so how can it be forgotten?
By the way, I do spend hours every night, and I get up early before work, again, contacting people and making a difference. All I see you doing is turning away.
I have already been in touch with congressment, former presidents, everyone I can get in touch with. And I am doing every single thing I can do make a difference.
What have you done that you think can criticize me? It's apparent you haven't done anything except complain that reality is intruding into your soft comfortable world. You can't even be described as someone who's given up, because to give up you would have had to actually take a stand at one time. Thank goodness the world has more people like me in it than people like you.
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Katrina's Surge: http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/Katrinas_surge_contents.asp
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