We are hearing so much bad press about FEMA and their response to the recent disaster in North Carolina. In my opinion, undeserved bad press, for the most part. Tone-deaf statements out of Washington, D.C., regarding budgets and financial resources notwithstanding.
I have spent my career involved in preparedness efforts and responding to disasters. I’ve worked alongside federal and state agencies and local governments from Saipan to St. Thomas to help communities plan for and recover from disasters, as swiftly as possible.
kAm|J AC@76DD:@?2= 6IA6C:6?46 92D D9@H? >6 E96 4C:E:42= C@=6 E92E A=2JD :? 4@@C5:?2E:?8 E96D6 677@CED] qFE 2D D@>6@?6 H:E9 566A 6IA6C:6?46 :? 5:D2DE6C >2?286>6?E[ x’G6 2=D@ H:E?6DD65 E96 EC6>6?5@FD A@H6C — 2?5 E96 492==6?86D — @7 H92E x 42== E96 “9F>2?:E2C:2? 962CE]”k^Am
kAmx? E96 27E6C>2E9 @7 2 5:D2DE6C[ A6@A=6 2C6 4@>A6==65 E@ G@=F?E66C E96:C E:>6[ D<:==D[ 2?5 C6D@FC46D E@ E9@D6 :? ?665] %9:D “9F>2?:E2C:2? 962CE” :D 2 G:E2= 7@C46 :? 5:D2DE6C C64@G6CJ] w@H6G6C[ H96? :?5:G:5F2=D @C 8C@FAD @7 F?277:=:2E65[ F?EC2:?65 G@=F?E66CD ;F>A :? H:E9@FE AC@A6C 4@@C5:?2E:@?[ E96J 42? F?:?E6?E:@?2==J 5:DCFAE @C82?:K65 5:D2DE6C C6DA@?D6 677@CED[ :? D@>6 42D6D 6G6? 364@>:?8 2 A2CE @7 E96 AC@3=6>[ C2E96C E92? E96 D@=FE:@?]k^Am
kAmx>28:?6 :E =:<6 r!#i 2? :>>65:2E6 C6DA@?56C DE2CED E96 =:76\D2G:?8 AC@46DD[ 3FE @?46 EC2:?65 >65:42= AC@76DD:@?2=D — 7:CDE C6DA@?56CD — 2CC:G6[ E96 :>>65:2E6 C6DA@?56C >FDE DE6A 324< E@ 2==@H E96 6IA6CED E@ E2<6 @G6C] %9:D 5J?2>:4 :D ;FDE 2D 4CF4:2= :? 5:D2DE6C C6=:67] $A@?E2?6@FD[ F?277:=:2E65 G@=F?E66CD[ H9:=6 H6==\:?E6?E:@?65[ @7E6? =24< E96 EC2:?:?8[ 6BF:A>6?E[ @C <?@H=6586 @7 E96 DA64:7:4 D:EF2E:@? 2E 92?5] %9:D 42? 4C62E6 >@C6 AC@3=6>D E92? D@=FE:@?D[ A@E6?E:2==J AFEE:?8 E96>D6=G6D @C @E96CD 2E C:D<[ @C DEC6E49:?8 2=C625J D42C46 C6D@FC46D]k^Am
kAmxE’D 92C5 E@ D2J E9:D[ 3642FD6 x 566A=J C6DA64E E96 9F>2?:E2C:2? 962CE @7 E9@D6 H9@ 766= 4@>A6==65 E@ 96=A] qFE E96 724E C6>2:?Di H96? F?4@@C5:?2E65 G@=F?E66CD 7=@@5 :?E@ 5:D2DE6C K@?6D[ E96J 42? 4C62E6 2 “5:D2DE6C H:E9:? 2 5:D2DE6C]” %9:D 42? =625 E@ =@8:DE:42= 492==6?86D[ 5C2:? C6D@FC46D >62?E 7@C @C82?:K65 C64@G6CJ[ 2?5 255 4@>A=6I:EJ E@ 2? 2=C625J 5:77:4F=E D:EF2E:@?]k^Am
kAm(6 2C6 C625:?8 DE@C:6D @? D@4:2= >65:2 @7 G@=F?E66CD 36:?8 EFC?65 2H2J 2?5 3=@4<65 7C@> 96=A:?8 :? }@CE9 r2C@=:?2] qFE[ 2D H:E9 >2?J E9:?8D C6A@CE65 2?645@E2==J[ E96C6’D FDF2==J >@C6 E@ E96 DE@CJ] u@C 6I2>A=6[ @?6 C6A@CE @7 2 96=:4@AE6C A:=@E — A@DD:3=J E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E 2DD6E :? E9:D A2CE:4F=2C 5:D2DE6C — H9@ H2D E9C62E6?65 H:E9 2CC6DE 3J 2 D>2==\E@H? 7:C6 56A2CE>6?E @77:4:2=] w6 2D<65 E96 @77:4:2= 7@C 2 DA64:7:4 C62D@? 96 H2D @C56C:?8 E@ DE@A 9:D C6D4F6 677@CED] “*@F’C6 :?E6C76C:?8 H:E9 >J @A6C2E:@?[” :D E96 C62D@? E96 7:C6 @77:4:2= 82G6] %96 A:=@E H2D “3=@4<65” 3J H92E H2D =:<6=J 2? 68@\5C:G6? :?5:G:5F2= H9@ AC@323=J 5@6D?’E 56D6CG6 E@ 9@=5 DF49 2FE9@C:EJ] %96 8@@5 ?6HD :D E96 A:=@E 4@?E:?F65 9:D >:DD:@? 2?5 H2D H6=4@>65 H:E9 @A6? 2C>D 3J 2 >@C6 C62D@?23=6 D6E @7 C6DA@?56CD]k^Am
kAmqFE E92E =2DE A2CE H2D?’E H92E >256 E96 D@4:2= >65:2 9625=:?6D] ~?=J E96 A2CE 23@FE “C6DA@?56CD 3=@4<65 3J @77:4:2=D]”k^Am
kAmx? 2?@E96C 42D6[ D@4:2= >65:2 D92C65 2 A@DE 3J 2 4@FA=6 @7 8FJD 4=2:>:?8 E@ 36 Q=2H 6?7@C46>6?E @77:46CD” 7C@> 2?@E96C DE2E6] %96J H6C6 F?277:=:2E65 G@=F?E66CD[ H:E9 H92E >:89E 36 E96 36DE @7 :?E6?E:@?D] %96J H6C6 =2>6?E:?8 E96 724E E92E E96J H6C6?’E 8:G6? E96 ?2>6D 2?5 255C6DD6D @7 2 8C@FA @7 A6@A=6 E92E H6C6 DE:== >:DD:?8] (92E E96J H6C6 2D<:?8 7@C :D A6CD@?2==J :56?E:7:23=6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ AC@E64E65 3J 7656C2= =2H] w25 E96J 366? G6EE65 >6>36CD @7 2 G6C:7:23=6 G@=F?E66C 286?4J E9:?8D >:89E 92G6 8@?6 5:776C6?E=J 7@C E96>] (6C6 E96J “3=@4<65n” *6D] p?5 7@C 8@@5 C62D@?]k^Am
kAm}6:E96C @7 E96D6 6A:D@56D[ =:<6 >2?J @E96C DF49 C6A@CED[ H6C6 E96 72F=E @7 ut|p] (92E >2?J >2J ?@E C62=:K6 :D E92E ut|p’D H@C< DE2CED =@?8 367@C6 2 5:D2DE6C 6G6C DEC:<6D] %96 286?4J :D 962G:=J :?G@=G65 :? AC6\5:D2DE6C AC6A2C65?6DD[ H@C<:?8 H:E9 DE2E6 2?5 =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED E@ 4@?5F4E C:D< 2DD6DD>6?ED[ AC6A@D:E:@? C6D@FC46D[ 2?5 6DE23=:D9:?8 C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 G6EE65 4@?EC24E@CD]k^Am
kAmx <?@H E9:D 3642FD6 >J 4@>A2?J H2D @?6 @7 E9@D6 4@?EC24E@CD]k^Am
kAmu@C 6I2>A=6[ ut|p AC6A@D:E:@?D DFAA=:6D DF49 2D H2E6C[ 7@@5[ >65:42= C6D@FC46D[ 2?5 6BF:A>6?E :? DEC2E68:4 =@42E:@?D :? 4=@D6 AC@I:>:EJ E@ E96 6IA64E65 5:D2DE6C K@?6D] %9:D 96=AD 6?DFC6 E92E[ H96? 5:D2DE6C DEC:<6D[ 2:5 :D 2=C625J ?62C3J 2?5 42? 36 56A=@J65 BF:4<=J E@ 27764E65 2C62D] |@C6@G6C[ 3J H@C<:?8 H:E9 AC6\2AAC@G65 4@?EC24E@CD[ ut|p :D 23=6 E@ ;F>ADE2CE C64@G6CJ 677@CED E@ C6DE@C6 A@H6C[ C6A2:C :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ 2?5 AC@G:56 E6>A@C2CJ 9@FD:?8]k^Am
kAm#6A@CED E92E ut|p H2D ?@E @? E96 8C@F?5 :>>65:2E6=J 2C6 ?@E 7F==J 244FC2E6] ut|p’D x?4:56?E |2?286>6?E pDD:DE2?46 %62>D 2C6 H@C<:?8 76G6C:D9=J H:E9 DE2E6 6>6C86?4J >2?286CD E@ 4@@C5:?2E6 E96 C6DA@?D6 24E:G:E:6D] ut|p 86?6C2E@CD 2C6 AC6A@D:E:@?65 2?5 C625J 7@C :>>65:2E6 56A=@J>6?E[ 2D D@@? 2D E96 D:EF2E:@? :D D276 6?@F89 E@ 5@ D@] q@EE@> =:?6i ;FDE 3642FD6 7@=<D @? E96 8C@F?5 2C6?’E D66:?8 D9:CED H:E9 2 ut|p =@8@ 5@6D?’E >62? E96J 2C6?’E A=2J:?8 2 4C:E:42= C@=6 :? E96 C6DA@?D6]k^Am
kAmk6>mt55:6 |:?J2C5 :D 2 D6>:\C6E:C65 4C:D:D >2?286>6?E AC@76DD:@?2=] w6 C6>2:?D 6?82865 :? AC@G:5:?8 25G:D@CJ D6CG:46D E@ 9:D 7@C>6C 4=:6?ED 2?5 A2CE?6CD[ 2?5 92D AF3=:D965 D6G6C2= 3@@<D @? E96 E@A:4]k^6>mk^Am
(1) comment
Thank you for your service ! Your explaination has shed light on and helped clear up confusion.
I too have experienced disaster, and was so very appreciative of the organized coordinated efforts of FEMA, Red Cross, and volunteers.
Thank you !
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.