The hurricanes
Posted By: Jennifer Martin on 2005-10-24
In Reply to: My prayers are with those who are dealing - mlstoo
I'm praying for them, too. (In Northern Cal, we deal with earthquakes.) I have a magnet on my fridge that says "Mother Nature is a vicious b****"
Jennie
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hurricanes and what comes after (ranting)
Hi, I am also in Lufkin, and we also stocked up on necessities early in the week prior to Rita. Since we don’t get hurricanes here (or at least we didn’t before now) it was a lot of guesswork as to what we might need, but I think we covered most everything. We filled multiple 2-liter bottles with water and froze them, to put in the refrigerator and any unused freezer space to help keep it cold while the power was out. We filled all cars and gas cans. We went to the bank and got enough cash to last at least a week. We took in 4 relatives and 2 of their friends from the coast, their 3 dogs and 5 cats, we took in a total of 14 animal shelter dogs that otherwise would have been put to sleep to make room for evacuees animals. As soon as the winds started dying down here, most of the able bodied went out with chainsaws, tractors and whatever else they needed and started clearing the roads of trees and limbs and checking on their relatives and neighbors, not looting the stores. I was fortunate and did not have damage, although numerous neighbors around me did. I did not ask for assistance from the Red Cross, FEMA etc. because I don’t need it. Did I have extra money for preparations, no, but the canned goods are edible now and I can still use the other ‘just in case’ extra stuff. I have no problem with the people who truly are in need of assistance, but there needs to be a better system of determining ‘need’ and how to help. It should be clear to most everyone by now that just giving money out to anyone to spend at his or her own discretion is not working. The majority of the evacuees here that were receiving the Red Cross and FEMA money were in shelters, being fed 3 meals a day, clothed and provided free medical care. Granted, that is only a temporary solution, but my point is that since their immediate needs were being met, there was time to assess what, if any financial assistance should be provided, and how best to provide it, be that in the way of housing vouchers that could only be used for housing, or vouchers that can only be used for food, toiletries, medications and the like. It just seems to me that there are far too many people who have, and will continue to use these natural disasters as a means to take from the well meaning public who are trying to help someone less fortunate. They were saying on the evening news today that the Red Cross has spent almost 2 billion dollars on all this and now has to get a loan for Wilma assistance and other programs, but will anyone ever know where all that money really went? How much of that really got to the people it was intended to help, and how much went to the ones who had no intentions of buying necessities, but instead got jewelry, cd’s and other such items (I have a neighbor who works at Target and saw this herself) like children in a toy store with a credit card? What about all the scams we’ve heard about, including scams involving Red Cross volunteers, how much of that went into their pockets? We only heard about the ones that were arrested, but how many others are doing the same thing but aren’t caught? Yes, I know I am very cynical, but I work my behind off and still live paycheck to paycheck, but I don’t expect anyone else to take care of me (if I can’t afford it, I don’t need it) and watching all these helpless by choice people waiting for a hand out just burns my behind.
Not specially addressing hurricanes but
If you ask me, the world would be a better place if people were a little MORE judgmental. It's the notion that you can do just about anything without being judged that has gotten us into the mess we have in this country.
Congratulations to the Carolina Hurricanes
for bringing home the Stanley Cup!!!!
I was going to post this the other day, but I got too busy to do so...lol.
   
After living thru 3 hurricanes last year, including Tropical Storm Bonnie, EVERYONE
coastal or inland,and 50 miles east or west,should be prepared - no matter how far inland you live. Check out www.themountaineer.com to see the pics on the flooding that happened in the mountains of N.C. from the remnants. In Jacksonville,FL we first received a large tornado from T.S.Bonnie,which was nowhere near us,and it was downhill from there. After Charlie, we got our power and phone back 2 days before Frances came and knocked them out again. When the meat began to defrost, we fired up the grill and cooked everything and invited the entire neighborhood. Everyone brought something to contribute, whether it was canned beans or Twinkies. After having to evacuate for Hurricane Floyd a few years ago, I am,and will always be,prepared. You don't have to have a lot of money to prepare. When hurricane season gets close, purchase a couple extra cans of food everytime you go shopping and SET THEM ASIDE. Save and clean your milk jugs or even the plastic soda bottles. FEMA cannot always get there immediately,especially when there is extensive damage. I was a claims adjuster during Hurricane Andrew. There was debris, damaged vehicles,trees and powerlines everywhere. It took us over 4 hours to go less than 10 miles. Imagine what FEMA had to deal with to get their big trucks in. There is absolutely NO REASON for ANYONE in Florida or the other gulf states (that's right - STATES - not just the coast)not to be prepared when hurricane season starts. Do not wait until a storm is expected to strike your area in 2 days. Florida is one of the most prepared states in the hurricane zones and look at the trouble they are having. The government is there to help provide with immediate necessities - not to rebuild your life. That is up to you.
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