There’s only so much people/government can do in extreme events. For example, if you look at the latest long-range computer models, Irma will curve northward and run along the entire length of the FL peninsula starting on 9/10, from Miami to Orlando to Jacksonville. Both coasts will suffer Cat 2-4 winds and inland winds will be 70+ mph. Miami will get 20" of rain.
If you’re the emergency manager for the state of FL do you order evacuations statewide right now? It would take days to evacuate millions of people. What about the medium-range computer models that show the storm curving northward much earlier? Another “hurricane” model shows Irma crossing into the Gulf south of Key West. Where are FEMA and the FL-NG supposed to position their equipment and people to be able to reach the survivors in a short period of time?
By the time the weather models can provide an accurate track it will be too late to evacuate large numbers of people.
I’ve been through two natural disasters. First was the Sylmar quake in 1977 when I was a child. Second was the Northridge quake in 1994.
When there is a disaster of such magnitude in a heavily populated area it is impossible for everyone to get individual assistance from the government or charitable organizations. That level of help is reserved for those who have few or no resources of their own, or those who suffer a complete loss of their home.
How did the rest of us cope? Neighbors helped neighbors. In the minutes after the quake, we went door to door to make sure no one was trapped or badly injured. Minor injuries were tended to with supplies from our medicine cabinets.
During the days before utilities were restored, we shared food and water. We had pot luck meals comprised of the food in our freezers that we could cook on our grills. We camped out in our front yards because the aftershocks made sleeping inside too scary.
We tended each other’s children while we dealt with dangerous clean up tasks inside our wrecked homes. We shared tools and DIY expertise during the recovery months. We commiserated with each other over the sentimental items that were destroyed, and we celebrated the fact that we were all physically unharmed.
I’m sure this is what is happening all over Texas right now.
Government help comes in the following weeks and months in the form of utility restoration, waste disposal, infrastructure repair, low interest emergency loans, etc.
If you are sitting around waiting for “the government” to help you clean up the mess at your house, that isn’t going to happen.
I think there must be a couple of waves of help. Like the initial search and rescue, I’m not sure who is responsible for that, would that be that national guard? The clean up afterwards? Initially the Red Cross and volunteers of all kinds. Long term - I think you’re on your own to fix your own house. But the reality is, you help yourself, you help your neighbor and you’re lucky if you get any kind of real assistance.
I would think, but I don’t have a lot of experience here - that people who are typically left behind - nursing homes, etc - shouldn’t there be an emergency plan? I have to have one for my business that services hospitals, I can’t imagine nursing homes don’t have one. But I certainly get it’s certainly easier and many times safer, to keep people in place than try and evacuate elderly.
I certainly wouldn’t wait for a government agency to help me.
Dh and I have always assumed we’d have to look out for ourselves. Fortunately, we’ve only experienced one major flood and a few small hurricanes/tropical storms. In the early years, our losses made life difficult but we were fortunate that dh’s job included a travel per diem that was stretched to provide food for both of us with a bit left over for my bus fare when he had our only car.
Over the last decade or so, I’ve become more aware of the issues raised above about caring for the elderly and disabled in disaster situations. I ran across an organization, Portlight, that is helping to address those concerns: https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2015/07/30/portlight-strategies-and-fema-partner-address-disability-accessibility-and
I can’t vouch for Portlight since for the first time we chose to donate first and research later. If anyone is familiar with them, please share what you know.
Otherwise, I look for people I know in the affected areas who I believe will make better use of whatever we can share than some of the national relief organizations. When I haven’t had a personal connection through friends or distant relatives, then we’ve usually contacted the local volunteer fire departments. Many of these folks get involved in rebuilding their communities outside of their fire dept. duties.
It’s easy to say that people should evacuate but after a few storms you realize that sometimes evacuation can possibly be worse than staying put. Getting stuck on the roads in your car is not where you want to be in a storm. And you can’t be sure whether it’s going for you or not until the very last minute at times.
After last storm (heck, people evacuated TO us–that’s how uncertain the storm path was)
it was neighbors first–even some we hadn’t even met before that pitched in for whatever could be done.
Local businesses tried to stay open to offer what they could.
Health care providers made a central station to get supplies out.
The national guard showed up and made things a bit more orderly.
A bit later the clean-up crews from other states appeared fixing electric and phone lines.
Then the other services from other states–home building, tree services etc (a nightmare of possible scams).came.
Took years literally for community to fully recover.
I think if I was the governor of Florida, I would ask those who live in the coastal areas that are threatened, that whomever is able to, to leave now, early, ahead of everybody else. Of course not everybody will or can, but if you can get some people out early, that would be helpful if you have to evacuate later.
My SIL in Ft Lauderdale is leaving ASAP, before the rush, as she is retired and can stay with her son. Yes, I know there is someone who can’t resist saying that not everyone can just leave, not everyone has a car, not everyone has a family member and can afford a hotel. But if you can convince those who are able, to leave early, it helps everyone else out.
And people in nursing homes, those who are helpless, get them out. Now.
This is slightly off topic, but can anyone advise on where to report bogus solicitations for donations for victims of Harvey? I received an email that is clearly bogus, referring to some vague partnership the United Nations and Red Cross, and giving an aol email address for donations. This makes me so angry, I want to report it but don’t know whom to contact! Thanks.
A high school classmate is the communications director for the Red Cross in Houston. It made me think about all of the people from Houston who are working to help with rescue and recovery … while their own lives have been as directly impacted as those of the people they are helping. These are the unsung heroes in situations like this.
I think initially prior to a storm most people look to their town or county for instruction. I live in Nassau County on the South Shore and prior to Sandy or almost any storm our mayor and town gov’t send an email about emergency reminder plans and instructions where to park without any charge on the highest ground, as well as putting any seniors in need of assistance as well as those disabled as well as 9 months pregnant on a list for priority assistance. We get numerous automated calls from our County Executive. With the hurricane prior to Sandy we even received an automated call from our rabbi informing us that in the event of an emergency evacuation it was okay to drive on Shabbat. We had no real problems with Sandy over than being without power for about 12 days. What was frustrating was being somewhere with power and trying to log onto LIPA’s website to determine whether or not our area was on schedule to have power restored later that day or later that week for planning.
For our nephew who lost his home and all his vehicles the greatest difficulty after the storm was the coordination between or lack of coordination between FEMA and what his own insurance was providing immediately or long-term. It is a long haul. In his case he is only back in his house which needed to be rebuilt entirely since the beginning of this calendar year. There are still boarded up homes and businesses on Long Island and many other affected areas.
Something that is not helping these recent and upcoming situations is the fact that there are also many wildfires occurring all over the west. Normally the federal land management folks who work on wildfire suppression (which is a very organized and proactive effort involving lots of people (other than firefighters) who handle the logistics of the crews and all that is associated with such a huge undertaking) are also used for other types of emergencies (hurricanes, oil spills, even space shuttle disasters - fire fighting crews were used to search for shuttle debris over huge areas in TX). Their emergency response procedure is well practiced and implemented many times annually so other agencies take advantage of their skills and abilities. But this year, the people and resources are spread thin. Also there is a federal hiring freeze and many positions are vacant so fewer federal employees are available to manage and assist with these disasters.
Hopefully the fires will be controlled soon so personnel can be made available to assist with the hurricane if needed.
Sadly, the fires will not be controlled soon. It’s scary how much of Oregon and Montana are on fire. The air where I am, in Silicon Valley, is rated Unhealthy now because of smoke from Oregon, over 400 miles away.
In the Houston area, the city governments usually ask people who need assistance to move to a safe place and register with a 311/211 phone system. The coastal areas had mandatory evacuations. People are expecting first responders and national guard to come help them, especially those people who make the mistake in staying in previously flooded property. What is different this time is the extreme rainfall and flooding in new areas after the hurricane, especially due to reservoir releases. Some people simply did not have enough time to leave once they found out that they needed to go.
I agree that there are people who are not good at planning and taking action and they tend to get worse when face with a dire situation.
“I would think, but I don’t have a lot of experience here - that people who are typically left behind - nursing homes, etc - shouldn’t there be an emergency plan?”
Yes. There usually is an emergency plan to evacuate people from nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living etc. And it always looks good on paper but no guarantees but there is a plan. Usually to another facility, hospital or even hotels out of harm’s way.
The real problem is people living alone who are dependent on others for health concerns. I worked for an oxygen company and every single patient was called personally and told to leave or make arrangements in case of power outages etc. and what the consequences could be. Breathing is always a good thing.
Some did. Some had no choice but to stay (and we did our best).
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But some could have EASILY left (even immediately afterwards) which would have considerably lightened the load for the community. Maybe just coincidence but it was the same people who seemed to think a business with no electricity, with employees with damaged homes, and no supplies should still be able to maintain the regular level of service. And berated them for it. Not even a “thank you”. Ugh. No sympathy here for some.
CF - yes, it is so sad! Here in Seattle we had ash falling out from the sky this morning from our own wildfires (WA). The OR and BC fires kept us in unhealthy air territory for a while.
Sometimes I think that they are simply lamenting that they feel alone and afraid and uncared for, not that they are expecting a specific entity to come rescue them.
Kinda like when I swerved off an on ramp onto a highway during a snow squall when I was very pregnant. My first instinct was to cry “why is no one stopping to help me?” And after I cried awhile I calmed down and got back on the road.