Wal Mart disaster relief.

[Hay Dude]

It does show how reliant we have become on the machine for our daily needs. No gas, electricity or cellphones should not be the end of us, yet few seem to know what else to do.
We went to the local grocery store last night, the frozen goods shelves were bare. Guess everyone stocked up for the strike. Hope their freezers don’t poop out.

Some of our family has now escaped Asheville, they have no clue how or where their lives will continue. They are very thankful that’s all they have to worry about now.

I believe in these precarious times, the best thing to do is be prepared. There are lots of different types of emergencies.
Keep your gas grille well stocked-extra tanks of propane to cook on. Lots of bottled water, canned or dry food, some emergency money, etc. Band together with members of church/synagogue. Not a bad idea to train yourself on a weapon, too.
The people in NC/TN/GA were hit with a natural disaster, but we are looming on the edge of a fiscal/dollar crisis and war/terrorism as well. If/when it hits, I think the average American is wholly unprepared.

 

[RSKY]

Maybe I’m misunderstanding. Are you saying we can’t ask “where is FEMA” because that is political?
The very agency that provides disaster relief to these poor people?

No, I have very little faith in FEMA or other Federal Agencies. They did little when our town was hit by a tornado. The Amish/Mennonites who built many of the houses would spit on the ground when FEMA was mentioned. The leader of one group we visited with said that the 'government people' just tried to get in the way, then take credit for what others were doing.

Amish Disaster Relief (name may not be exactly right), Samaritan's Purse, Tower to Tunnels, Walmart, and Lowes each did much more than any government agency except local government.

RSKY

 

[newbury]

The FEDERAL government has great difficulty dealing directly with local problems INSIDE the US.
I worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers mapping forces. Just before Hurricane Katrina (August, 2005) we had fielded about a half dozen units top of the line Division level Digital Topographic Support Systems. IIRC a $6M unit with vehicles, generators, computers, plotters, printers, the whole shebang.
These were designed to map everything. We had provided full training and the troops were sitting at FT Hood ready to go ready to map all of the disaster.
But the STATE had to request them. We. back in DC, couldn't get them to ask.
It wasn't until Hurricane Rita (Sept. 2005) that the states finally got their act together and asked and these assets were deployed.

 

[D&D]

The FEDERAL government has great difficulty dealing directly with local problems INSIDE the US.
I worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers mapping forces. Just before Hurricane Katrina (August, 2005) we had fielded about a half dozen units top of the line Division level Digital Topographic Support Systems. IIRC a $6M unit with vehicles, generators, computers, plotters, printers, the whole shebang.
These were designed to map everything. We had provided full training and the troops were sitting at FT Hood ready to go ready to map all of the disaster.
But the STATE had to request them. We. back in DC, couldn't get them to ask.
It wasn't until Hurricane Rita (Sept. 2005) that the states finally got their act together and asked and these assets were deployed.

IME, the fed state and local governments do very little to make it known what assets they do have and how to get them deployed. There are often reams of paper involved that aren’t discussed until an actual need arises. After the paper is fully processed, the current need has abated.

 

[dodge man]

I think a big problem is what do people need? Some people just need to get out and leave, others might need water or fuel. The list of needs can vary and be endless. I look at several news sources to try and form an opinion and reading between the lines FEMA has the money for this disaster and is responding the way they normally do, which may not be adequate.

 

[EddieWalker]

Both of my wife's daughters live in Ashville. Their homes where not damaged, but neither have power or water. They are telling us that their church has become a shelter for everyone in need, and where all the supplies are going to for people to get what they need. Bottled water, food and generators to charge phones and computers. Neither of them have jobs right now. School is closed for their kids indefinitely. Every day is about getting the basics to survive, and helping out others. They are in good spirits, but we don't know how long this will last, or if they will stay there, or come here to stay with us in Texas. Their dad and his family is there and they are all in the same situation, so they don't want to leave. All of the supplies coming into the church are from Samaritan's Purse, and people just showing up with supplies in the back of a pickup truck. As far as I know, they have not seen or heard from the government.

 

[Duds13]

I have been researching lakes in western North Carolina as potential retirement spots. Lake Lure was one of them. Take a look at before and after photos of the lake, it's incredible.

 

[kirkawilson]

We now have power and internet, but our cell phone service is spotty. My most disturbing event [other than downed trees and brush everywhere] was when I went to move my generator back under the house following 80 hours of non-stop running, I discovered my pull cord on my generator had been cut off near the handle. It was not a cord break, because I started it myself a week ago and never had to restart since I carefully refill gas with the generator running. The only plausible explanation is that one of my yard clean-up workers was extremely mad about something and decided to cut my cord out of spite. I also found scissors near the genny that were likely used to cut. I have not accused anyone, but when things settle down, I will start asking questions.
I had a spare pull cord for a chain saw, so I used it to partially repair the recoil head. Evidently, when he cut the cord, it damaged the recoil spring so now I hafta pull the head again and find another spring somewhere.
Very hateful human behavior at its best. But conditions here (Upstate SC) are not nearly as bad as Western NC. Many NC places have no level land remaining to even consider rebuilding.

 

[Jstpssng]

Amish Disaster Relief (name may not be exactly right), Samaritan's Purse, Tower to Tunnels, Walmart, and Lowes each did much more than any government agency except local government

That's the way that it should be. Relying on the Feds should be a last resort if local resources are overwhelmed. I feel the same way about government replacing local help and churches to support underprivileged... It turns people in need into a faceless number, rather than being recognized as your neighbor who hit hard times and needing a hand up again.

 

[Sprinkler Fitter]

I have been researching lakes in western North Carolina as potential retirement spots. Lake Lure was one of them. Take a look at before and after photos of the lake, it's incredible.

My brother-in-law that used to live in Minnesota thinks we are nuts retiring five years ago and stayed here in Minnesota, sure we get some snow, but we like the snow and it typically don’t kill us.

He thinks because he and his wife are retired and moved to Florida, everybody should and we’re doing it wrong.


We are both retired and don’t have to live here but we like the winter. We enjoy it and have fun in the winter.