I seem to recall lots of military aircraft and assets used during Katrina.........contrasted with the VERIFIED reports of all military aircraft grounded. They know the people in rural areas are largely conservative, so they will drag out any operations and prevent any outside help interfering with their "operations".

This one was a prepper's nightmare; you could prepare all you want but it wouldn't help if all your preps are washed away or buried under a mud slide.

Here is a great story... Helicopter pilot is surveying the area and finds two stranded people. He picks the wife up first and takes her to the command post. Asst. Fire Chief threatens to arrest him if he does it again. Not sure how a fire chief can arrest someone but he ended up going back and telling the guy "sorry, can't pick you up, someone will come get you" A rescue crew from Michigan who witnessed this went and rescued the man.

The next day the pilot was asked to come help with rescue efforts.

They won't let the Asst. Chief be interviewed so they serve up the Town Manager to the media. BUT... at 09:43 the door behind her opens and guess who pokes his head in? Looks a lot like Chief Melton.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
I guess it couldn't possibly be that FEMA doesn't want random helicopters, airplanes, and drones hampering search and rescue efforts. No, the only acceptable explanation is a government conspiracy. You guys win.

Please explain how random helicopters could hamper SAR efforts. Like, tell me exactly how a civilian flying into a town and picking up survivors would somehow disrupt or complicate the government doing their job. I've done airborne surveillance for natural disasters and I would've loved having civilian drone pilots out there; rather than shut them down I would've given them a radio preprogrammed on my frequency to expand our awareness and prevent duplication of effort.

There's zero excuse for the federal government not to have had an experienced military ISR/Rescue package deployed to the area within 24 hours (and living in tents not hotels). That capability exists, is extremely good, wants to be exercised, and is even now not in position. I understand your comment but as someone who has done this (I did Katrina & Haiti earthquake response) this is an inexcusable dereliction of duty.

I spent 30 days as a volunteer during Sandy so I know what’s possible and what should be done

What is going on right now is planned and deliberate incompetence

The ‘fire chief’ can threaten to arrest the helo pilot (good on him) but the tables will turn in the chief. He will get his reward.

After 9 days without power a nice hot shower felt pretty good this morning. :<

Bob

quote:

What is going on right now is planned and deliberate incompetence

The Democrats' War on Western North Carolina
By Don Brown

Why has Biden not acted? The United States government has the power and the money, and the military might to save these North Carolinians from dying.

Are dying North Carolinians not as important as Germans in West Berlin?

And why hasn’t the theoretical acting President, Kamala Harris, urged Biden to mobilize the military to save American lives?

Are American lives not as important to the Democrats as the lives of illegal aliens?

Apparently not, in the eyes of the Democrats. Make no mistake about it, siege and starvation are tools of warfare. And the Democrats are, by calculation, waging war against the dying citizens of western North Carolina.

With a national election just weeks away, the Biden-Harris failure to quickly to save lives in the state's most significant Republican stronghold, could deliver a political advantage to swing the state to Kamala. At the same time, billions flow to illegal aliens and Ukraine, while Americans suffer. Is this a coincidence, or calculated inaction for political gain?

The Democrats neither act, nor fail to act, without a determined political calculus. This time, Americans are paying the price of that political calculus with their lives.

https://www.americanthinker.co..._north_carolina.html

It should be pretty clear by now that a vast portion of government workers care more about their precious procedures and protecting their job than they care about the citizens they serve, regardless of level. These kind of public sector jobs breed incompetence, pettiness, and lying to protect one’s self.

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
I spent 30 days as a volunteer during Sandy so I know what’s possible and what should be done

What is going on right now is planned and deliberate incompetence

The ‘fire chief’ can threaten to arrest the helo pilot (good on him) but the tables will turn in the chief. He will get his reward.

Your post brought back some memories of the nightmare when I spent 30 days in Brooklyn during hurricane Sandy.

I was talking to a survivor in Brooklyn who had a relative in New Jersey. This relative had some very serious problems (if I remember correctly close to “life safety” issues). I notified my supervisors and requested that they forward this information to the FEMA command in New Jersey. My supervisors threatened to send me home for not “staying in my lane”. They said we have nothing to do with New Jersey.

“Fond memories”

Trooper Joe

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

What is going on right now is planned and deliberate incompetence

The Democrats' War on Western North Carolina
By Don Brown

You can bet that Boone and Asheville will be getting all the help they need so they can get out and vote. The rest of the area? Not so much.

Then they'll sick the "misinformation police" on anyone calling attention to it. Chris Wray was on the news yesterday stating as much.

Will see how they respond when soon to be Milton hits the Tampa area. From the NHC:

Tropical Depression Fourteen Discussion Number 1
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL142024
1000 AM CDT Sat Oct 05 2024

Early morning one-minute GOES-East satellite imagery shows that the
circulation associated with the area of low pressure over the
southwestern Gulf of Mexico has become better defined. Deep
convection has been persistent over the northwestern portion of the
circulation with some increase in banding also noted. Based on the
recent increase in organization, advisories are being initiated on
Tropical Depression Fourteen. The initial intensity is set at 30
kt which is supported by overnight ASCAT data. Another ASCAT pass
is expected over the system later this morning.

The depression is moving north-northeastward or 025/3 kt. The
system is forecast to drift northeastward or east-northeastward
during the next day or so. After that time, a trough moving
southward over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico is expected to cause
the system to turn east-northeastward to northeastward at a
slightly faster forward speed. By Tuesday the cyclone is expected
to move northeastward at an increasingly faster forward speed and
this track will bring the system across the west coast of the
Florida Peninsula by midweek. The track guidance is in good
agreement on this overall scenario, but there are differences in
the forward speed. The NHC track lies near the various consensus
aids, but it slightly faster since the typically reliable GFS and
ECMWF global models are on the faster side of the guidance. Users
are reminded to not focus on the exact forecast track or timing at
the longer range as the average NHC 4-day track error is about 150
miles.

The depression is within a favorable environment of low vertical
wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures. These conditions are
expected to allow for steady to rapid strengthening over the next
few days. The intensification is likely to be slower during the
next 12 to 24 hours until an inner core can become established, but
after that time a faster rate of strengthening is anticipated. The
global models predicted significant deepening when the system moves
across the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico and the regional
hurricane models show the potential for rapid strengthening during
that time. The NHC forecast follows suit and calls for a period of
rapid intensification after 36 h. The official forecast shows
the system nearing major hurricane strength over the central and
eastern Gulf of Mexico. This forecast is near the intensity
consensus aids but some upward adjustment may be required as it lies
a little below the regional hurricane models. Regardless of the
exact details of the intensity forecast, an intense hurricane with
multiple life-threatening hazards is likely to affect the west coast
of the Florida Peninsula next week.

link:https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT4+shtml/051459.shtml?

One of the Captains I worked for about half my career was a SAR expert and deployed with FEMA many times in his career and eventually settled in his later years with the Red Cross.

Sandy was his last event. He shared that the deliberate incompetence was staggering. He shared a story about a local restaurant that, on their own dime, made box lunches for the Red Cross, FEMA, SAR, etc assets and delivered them to the Red Cross. He in turn dispersed those to all of the other agencies. An hour later he was at a meeting in the FEMA trailer and someone opened a closet, all of the boxed lunches were stacked in there. He asked why they hadn't been used and he was told the food wasn't up to their standards. He had his people come and remove it and send it to the assets providing food to victims. Finding out the FEMA people would only take top tier restaurant food and eat at top tier restaurants was the last straw for him. You're paying for their $100 dinners by the way.

This weekend the Red Cross command HQ that he worked out of renamed and dedicated the radio room in his honor.

In a perfect world with a "pure" Incident Command, I can see the point of a centralized distribution. It would prevent some people getting double or triple deliveries while some are not receiving any deliveries. It helps triage logistics and need.

The other politicized aspect of Incident Command is the attitude of "me and mine" are taken care of and eating well, while my opponents aren't. Sure, starving, thirsty people are dangerous but if they are just receiving enough food and water to stay alive, then they are easier to control.....and slowly starve to death, if need be. See any Death Camps in any point of history, be those German, Russian, Cambodian, Chinese, North Korea, Somali Death Camps.

It is amazing that "newcomers" aka illegals are immediately fed, clothed, sheltered and given nearly unlimited resources while tax paying citizens who have lost everything are screwed over. Then again, why be shocked about this, they did it in Hawaii, they did it major cities during the riots.

IIRC, Katrina's response was abysmal until a USCG Admiral was given overall command responsibility. They and FEMA are both DHS; someone needs to remember those lessons learned at the expense of blood and apply corrective action.

P.S. FEMA personnel should be eating whatever is available to those being helped, whether it is Chick Fil-A sandwiches donated, or MREs. There are twenty-four varieties of MREs today. I'm sorry if Pheasant Under Glass isn't one of them, but the Chili Macaroni is great! (rant off)

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

What is going on right now is planned and deliberate incompetence

The Democrats' War on Western North Carolina
By Don Brown

You can bet that Boone and Asheville will be getting all the help they need so they can get out and vote. The rest of the area? Not so much.

Then they'll sick the "misinformation police" on anyone calling attention to it. Chris Wray was on the news yesterday stating as much.

I believe this to be true. You know damn well if this had been a blue area the military search and recue teams from Fort Campbell and Fort Bragg would have been there asap.

Fort Bragg not Fort Liberty. FJB

My nieces BF/fiance is a lineman whose headed to NC to help with power restoration.

They're sending him in from WA to, wait for it, Asheville. Now I get that they need help all over the region, but seriously, what's the odds...

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
With a national election just weeks away, the Biden-Harris failure to quickly to save lives in the state's most significant Republican stronghold, could deliver a political advantage to swing the state to Kamala. At the same time, billions flow to illegal aliens and Ukraine, while Americans suffer.

Yes, I'm convinced that the current administration is using the Helene disaster to their political advantage and agenda, at the cost of American lives and relief.

https://x.com/PapiTrumpo/statu...sistance-day-1356%2F


https://x.com/UnwokeMe/status/1842234070895599744


https://x.com/sav_says_/status...sistance-day-1356%2F

quote:

[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s8ICG0iaHqw?si=5-ig1jGKEmdmILsV" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

Reportedly the Michigan rescue crew threw him a rope and dragged him across a river ?! I’m sure that was much more fun than a helo ride with a guy that has apparently has 14000 flight hours… Interview with that couple was interesting I’m sure they’re happy to be alive and together. Get them off the record and I bet they’d have some choice things to say about that fire chief.

What an epic clusterfuck

FEMA’s mission is no longer emergency disaster relief—it is “Equity and Climate Resilience.”
Here is their Strategic Plan:
https://www.fema.gov/about/strategic-plan

Strategic Plan

The goals and objectives laid out in the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan will help ensure success for our agency, the emergency management community, and those we serve. The Plan outlines three bold, ambitious goals to meet this challenge:

Instill equity as a foundation of emergency management
Lead whole of community in climate resilience
Promote and sustain a ready FEMA and prepared nation

They won’t help because that’s not what they do anymore. They will show up during the rebuild to dictate where new buildings can and can’t be built, based on the race and economic status of the victims and on environmental "concerns." They’re actually already doing this now by harassing and threatening the helicopter pilots, drone operators and truck drivers who are providing aid to victims without concern for race, gender, economic status, etc.—that is not upholding “Equity” as the communists define it. Our government has been entirely captured by communists (which is what the Dems really are).

This is "Hope, Change, and Joy" fully unmasked.

This piece offers a comparison between the response from Bush in regards to Katrina, and the current administration on Helene.

https://thefederalist.com/2024...run-the-white-house/

quote:

Originally posted by rat2306:
IIRC, Katrina's response was abysmal until a USCG Admiral was given overall command responsibility. They and FEMA are both DHS; someone needs to remember those lessons learned at the expense of blood and apply corrective action.

(rant off)

I think General Russel Honore was in charge after Katrina . Army