Gen. Honore was head of the combined services support efforts in NOLA when DOD spooled up and responded, that is very true. However, it was the USCG Chief of Staff (Admiral Allen) who was appointed to head the overall effort and Brownie (who hadn't done all that great a job) was sidelined. I had to look up this on Wikipedia to refresh the memories, but yes, FEMA is fumbling on some of the very same issues once again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...to_Hurricane_Katrina

As ZSMICHAEL said there's another Hurricane coming at us from the western Gulf and our home/town/Church/life is right, exactly, in the middle of the bullseye on the Cone of Death that extends from the Big Bend to the Keys. It's still a TS now, but expected to be a Cat 2 when it gets here. Yuck!

Praying for His Grace and Mercy but I can't pray the storm turns away somewhere 'cause then, in effect, I'm praying some other "Bob" will get its effects and I can't do that.

My wife's up in PA (I married a pretty, young Yankee girl 'bout 40 years ago) at the Penn State game, but she should be back early Monday. I'm still as battened down from the last one as I can be but I'm hoping this one fizzes out in the middle of the Gulf.

EDIT: Darn! Now they say it'll be a Cat 3.

Bob

This message has been edited. Last edited by: straightshooter1,

The one thing to look at is the radius of hurricane force winds and the size of the storm. That makes a big difference. Katrina was huge Cat 5 storm but hit land as a Cat 3. The surge here was 28 feet which wiped out 30 miles of beachfront.

quote:

My wife's up in PA (I married a pretty, young Yankee girl 'bout 40 years ago) at the Penn State game, but she should be back early Monday. I'm still as battened down from the last one as I can be but I'm hoping this one fizzes out in the middle of the Gulf.

EDIT: Darn! Now they say it'll be a Cat 3.

Bob

Bob, please consider taking a trip to meet your wife somewhere instead of her coming back home for the hurricane.

Meanwhile you will be in my prayers.

https://x.com/Apoctoz/status/1842578046081282531

https://x.com/SecBlinken/status/1842324958208565544

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
https://x.com/SecBlinken/status/1842324958208565544

Absolutely maddening.

quote:

Originally posted by arabiancowboy:

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.

There is a mechanism to create Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFS) for emergency response. This is regularly used to provide a safe environment for fire fighting operations. Were FEMA actually doing something useful, it wouldn’t be inappropriate to setup a TFR and exclude any aircraft not under their control. Under the circumstances, FEMA and the chief should have been told to go screw them themselves.

Thanks, Mark, but I already took a couple shots at that. She said a flat "NO!", that she was gonna come back and be with me and our little dog, PC.

I couldn't leave my dog alone either, so we'll all deal with this together as a family and trust in God.

Bob

^^^^^^
Ummm, take the dog with you?

quote:

Originally posted by redstone:
A fellow blacksmith friend had his house and smithy destroyed by a mud slide. He is in the hospital but they cannot find his fiance. It is just awful.

Please pass my sincerest condolences on to your friend. I cannot imagine such a loss.

FEMA abandons devastated NC town residents because they can’t drive around ‘road closed’ sign: ‘Nobody’s been bringing in supplies except civilians’

https://nypost.com/2024/10/06/...of-road-closed-sign/

quote:

Originally posted by straightshooter1:
Thanks, Mark, but I already took a couple shots at that. She said a flat "NO!", that she was gonna come back and be with me and our little dog, PC.

I couldn't leave my dog alone either, so we'll all deal with this together as a family and trust in God.

Bob

My wife has the same thought, I had to ride out multiple hurricanes in the past due to work obligations, wife chose to stay with the kids & family pets alongside every time.

Especially in an area like south Florida, if folks don't decide to bug out several days before, trying to get out late is a nightmare.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

Remember - at first it was thought that NOLA fared much better than expected because Katrina veered off the expected course and hit the coast east of NOLA much harder.

^^^^^^^^^^^
Not quite. Katrina was dead on the MS/La line. NOLA had an engineering failue, the MS.coast got a 28 foot storm surge. After landfall the NOLAs levees broke and flooded the city.There was plenty of search and rescue as families were trapped in the attic. The MS coast got hit with the right front quadrant which is the meanest part of the storm

OK thanks for the clarification. In any event, active duty military were activated more quickly and in much greater numbers for Katrina. And with Helene, helicopter search and rescue is the only viable method to exfiltrate people from the mountains so it should be the highest priority.

About time! Biden/Harris must have started feeling the heat.


Army’s 101st Airborne Division lands in Greene Co. TN to provide aid to mountain communities

https://www.wjhl.com/news/loca...ountain-communities/

The Screaming Eagles have landed as members of the 101st Airborne Division made their way to Greene County. The mission: Provide aid to the Southeast.

“At the commander’s call, we were able to provide effort[s] in any way to North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky,” said Sergeant First Class Devin Jarone with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 39th Brigade Engineer Battalion and 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

The call for aid in the region came from Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison. But, that call originally didn’t get answered.

“We appealed to the U.S. Military through our chain of command,” said Morrison. “Through TEMA, FEMA. But we initially got denied.”

Morrison said the aid finally was approved thanks to a former Greene County native, who now commands a unit within the 101st Airborne Division.

“[The denial] didn’t stop the commander,” said Morrison. “He kept working. And tonight, we have elements of the 101st Airborne Division on the ground, elements of the Cavalry unit there, and an Infantry Battalion of about 500 coming to Greeneville and Greene County.”

Sgt. Jarone said that while their mission will focus heavily on parts of Western North Carolina, that focus is subject to change as needs arise.

“Anything around here as well,” said Jarone. “That can always change if they need to place us to the north, east, south, west–it doesn’t matter. We’ll still get it done.”

Mayor Morrison himself is a veteran of the 101st Airborne Division. He said seeing the unit fly into town gave him a boost of confidence.

“To see 20 UH60 Black Hawk Helicopters and a chunk of CH-47 Chinook helicopters actually land in your hometown,” said Morrison. “[It] gives you a great deal of confidence. There’s really nothing that can reassure you like the U.S. Military being on the ground. And it’s a great shot in the arm for me because there’s a great measure of pride in my heart because this is my unit.”

Jarone said that the current plan is to stay only a few days, but that timeline isn’t set in stone.

“We’re always ready, whatever our commander is, whatever we need to do,” said Jarone. “We’ll still execute it no matter how long or how short that we’re here.”

Despite the circumstances, Morrison is glad to see his unit once again.

“We’re happy to welcome the Screaming Eagles to Greeneville, Tennessee,” Morrison said. “I can tell you that.”

Tim Kennedy:


Tim Kennedy Short Video

FEMA broke, impotent, or disgustingly biased?
By Eric Utter

If you thought the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was specifically and exclusively tasked with providing relief and succor to American citizens who have been the victims of natural disasters, you probably also believe in the tooth fairy—or that Epstein killed himself.

Au contraire.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently admitted that “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.” This begs a question.

Why? I was keen to guess.

One reason is that FEMA spent more than $650 million this fiscal year providing housing and services to illegal aliens.

I did guess. Correctly! That’s right, FEMA spent the better part of a billion dollars so far this year providing non-emergency aid to non-citizens via the Shelter and Services program.

Sorry, western North Carolinians! Too bad you don’t have a house, belongings, or a pot to tinkle in anymore! Hope you find the rest of your family members! We’d love to help, really, but we’re just tapped out at the moment! Had to put a bunch of border-crossers up at the Hilton in New York City, don’t ya’ know! And then there were the cell phones—and pre-loaded VISA cards—and some other stuff! Adds up quicker than one might think!

And it’s not just the Biden-Harris administration’s FEMA that is spurning citizens in favor of aliens. Recent reports indicate that police in turmoil-stricken Springfield, Ohio have turned off their radios, allegedly to prevent others from learning of their actions in covering for Haitian refugees. Police in nearby Tremont City say that reckless driving and lawlessness is rampant in Springfield and has started to bleed over into their town.

Here is another question: Has there ever been a supposedly “democratic” federal government that so disdains so many of its own citizens? And this disdain, of course, is shared by many blue state and blue city governments and their agencies.

There needs to be an entity charged with responding to disasters and emergencies created by the federal government, particularly the current one allegedly headed by Biden and Harris.

On second thought, I guess there is one. It’s called the MAGA movement.

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

This question is addressed more to our members in the affected areas of FL, GA, NC, SC, TN, etc.

What are the plans to get election procedures and voting equipment into those area that have suffered damage and destruction?

Since these areas tend to being “red” in political orientation, lessening the total votes from these areas in those States would have the tendency to increase the “blue” vote count overall.

As tight of a race as this Election is, every vote needs to happen and to be counted. It’s plain to see that a less than positive response by FEMA is happening which impacts on the daily lives of the suffering.

OUR Elon continues to do wonders:

quote:

SpaceX and @TMobile have been given emergency special temporary authority by the
@FCC to enable @Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capability to provide coverage for cell phones in the affected areas of Hurricane Helene.

The satellites have already been enabled and started broadcasting emergency alerts to cell phones on all networks in North Carolina. In addition, we may test basic texting (SMS) capabilities for most cell phones on the T-Mobile network in North Carolina.

SpaceX’s direct-to-cell constellation has not been fully deployed, so all services will be delivered on a best-effort basis.

Link

quote:

NEWS: SpaceX engineer Mike Coryell, who has been with the company for 10 years, has spent the past week in North Carolina.

He says they have already deployed over 1,000 Starlink kits in the valley, with each deployment enabling 10x more people to communicate. So far, they've received over 8,500 requests for Starlink just from the region he’s working in. "We're going to be here as long as we can to get these deployed as fast as humanly possible."

Link

Starting at 3:44, these ladies should become a Trump advert.