I heard a rumor recently that there were Hurricane Ike relief supplies sitting on trucks waiting to be delivered more than a week after the catastrophic wind event. (How is that for Orwellian Newspeak?) I understood that FEMA was paying the drivers some $800 a day to idle in their trucks waiting for directions of where to go and who to supply. So I jumped on the intertubes to see what the Google had to say about this. In two separate news articles from local newspapers, this is what I found:
“HOUSTON -- As recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast slowly expanded Wednesday, local leaders and federal officials resolved their spat over logistical tie-ups that kept thousands of residents from getting food and supplies from government aid stations. Earlier in the week, a federal employee sent away a supply truck that arrived late in the day at one Harris County distribution center, citing concerns about leaving the goods unguarded overnight. At other centers, crowds stood in line for hours, only to learn that there were no supplies.”
And:
“In Houston, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff met with local officials and promised to deal with the problems of supply distribution. A clearly frustrated Houston Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett took over the logistics operations Tuesday. They opened extra centers and ordered supply trucks to drive through the night so that supplies would be available at daybreak to the region's hardest-hit areas.”
Houston we have a problem. Gulf Coast, we have a problem. Ray Nagin and Bill Chertoff, we have a problem.
I don’t know about you, but after I do something a few times, I start to get the hang of how to do it. Start to develop a real skill at managing things. When MillieJupiter and Booth Boy were small, we had a double blizzard – like 45 inches of snow in 5 days with the second storm knocking out power for 6 days. No power, no heat, no showers, no water, no food storage, no electric stove, oven or toaster. We were unprepared. Had to dig the cordwood out of the snow. Had to melt snow on wood stove in a bucket to flush the toilets, Had to warm food and cook on top of a small wood stove. Had to huddle around said stove to stay somewhat warm. We learned a valuable lesson – have wood, have water in the tub, have access to stored food and coolers to keep food in. Keep those candles, matches and flashlights handy. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice…
Well, it would seem that we have had to call on FEMA quite a lot in the last couple or three hurricane seasons, for multiple incidents. After all these storms we are getting good at planning, prepping and delivering right? After Katrina and Wilma and Ike and Gustav and Rita, we have this relief thing down right? Surely after Hurricane Andrew we had begun to figure it out.
But they don’t seem to have the whole planning thing down yet. At least not if we have supplies sitting in trucks or have trucks being turned away while people are in need of these basics.
My friend Maqz quoted Ray Nagin after the last hurricane slapped New Orleans around a bit a few weeks ago. A couple of barges that were not secured got loose in the harbor and threatened to hit and maybe destroy a couple of levees that were protecting the city. His response to reporter’s questions about the incident – “We’ll have to make a note about that for next time.” Dude, this is like the third one to hit you guys in like the last 5 years. Make a list – fill tubs with water, check. Look at levees to make sure they are secure, check. Pick up some extra food and snacks and candles and batteries and drinking water, check, check, check, check and check. TIE UP THE GODDAM BOATS AND BARGES! Check.
Thanks.
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