A Tale of Two Tornado Disasters (one under DT and one under Obama)
A tale of two tornado disasters, one being currently mishandled by DT (also by Georgia Gov. Deal).
January 25, 2017: Four days after the tornadoes began on the 21st, DT still has not issued a disaster declaration and there is little FEMA presence in the affected states. (DT hasn’t even nominated a new head of FEMA.)
Contrast that to Obama’s FEMA response in May 2013 to a tornado disaster in Oklahoma. (See timeline below) The disaster declaration was made within 2 days and 400 personnel were on the ground within 4 days.
January 2017
January 21-22, 2017: a vast storm system claims at least 19 lives in the Southeast.
Jan 22, 2017: DT pledges tornado aid for Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.
Jan. 22, 2017: Georgia Governor declares a state of emergency
Jan. 23, 2017: Governor of Mississippi officially requests disaster aid.
In Georgia: “The chair of the county’s Board of Commissioners called out the federal government Monday morning.’ We need help,’ Christopher S. Cohilas said during a news conference. “FEMA, please get people on the damn ground.”
“While Cohilas singled out the federal government for his ire, it is state officials who must first make a disaster declaration, clearing the way for federal assistance. Soon after Cohilas’ comments, Gov. Nathan Deal’s office announced that nine more counties had been declared disaster areas. One of them was Dougherty County.
“The state is making all of our resources available,” Deal said at an afternoon news conference. State officials said they are continuing search and rescue efforts in South Georgia, with more than 250 state employees working to clear debris, and provide shelter and disaster relief.”
http://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/albany-aims-for-fema-help-for-storms/r3HYjULgPKOu42YaIyvDvM/
http://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/south-georgia-need-help/SNOPQLEJIUJwjTvsIKRASO/
“Following a recommendation from Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMHSA) officials and local Emergency Management Agencies, Gov. Nathan Deal is expanding his emergency declaration for nine additional counties in South Central Georgia impacted by severe weather and tornado touchdowns. He is also extending the executive order to run through midnight on January 30.
“The state of emergency now exists in the following 16 counties: Atkinson, Baker, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Dougherty, Lowndes, Mitchell, Thomas, Turner, Wilcox and Worth. Mitchell and Dougherty Counties, previously impacted by similar severe weather, are now covered under this emergency declaration.
“Gov. Deal plans to visit the affected areas on Wednesday, January 25.”
http://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2017-01-23/deal-expands-and-extends-state-emergency-nine-additional-counties
Jan. 24, 2017:
Gov. Nathan Deal said he expects the federal government to soon sign off on a request for assistance for the wave of storms that killed at least 15 people in south Georgia and four more across the region.
Deal said Tuesday he received word from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that it has completed a round of assessments for the first spate of storms that struck the Albany area earlier this month, “and we have every reason to expect the second request will be granted and approved very quickly.”
South Georgia officials and residents implored the federal government for more help after the deadly storms that struck over the weekend.
http://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/deal-federal-aid-coming-soon-for-victims-south-georgia-storms/5Ylsp4C4F7xi8mRip0twhL/
Deal, who is set to visit the storm-damaged areas on Wednesday, said he’s confident President Donald Trump and his administration would respond. For good measure, his office said he asked the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, to expedite the disaster declaration.
http://www.ajc.com/weather/tornado-confirmed-deal-seek-federal-aid-for-south-georgia/zkuKBdh3Kvdy9jl5fMRoON/
Jan. 25, 2017:
No Major Disaster Declarations have been posted on FEMA’s site related to the January tornadoes.
https://www.fema.gov/disasters?field_state_tid_selective=All&field_disaster_type_term_tid=9218&field_disaster_declaration_type_value=DR&items_per_page=20
WHERE IS FEMA?
http://www.snopes.com/2017/01/24/mississippi-governor-deadly-tornadoes/
http://www.ajc.com/weather/tornado-confirmed-deal-seek-federal-aid-for-south-georgia/zkuKBdh3Kvdy9jl5fMRoON/
____________________________________________
MAY 2013, another tornado disaster handled by Obama’s FEMA
May 18-20, 2013: tornadoes hit Oklahoma
May 20,2013: “As the President told Governor Fallin tonight, the administration — through FEMA — is committed to providing all the assistance it can to Oklahoma as the response effort unfolds. Already, FEMA has deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team, Urban Search & Rescue Teams, and an Medical Emergency Response Support Team to provide resources to hard-hit areas in Oklahoma.”
“The President approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Oklahoma, making federal funding available to support affected individuals, as well as additional federal assistance to support immediate response and recovery efforts.
May 21, 2013: tornado victims began to register for assistance
“The President received a briefing in the Oval Office on the response by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco and other senior members of the President’s response team.”
May 22, 2013: by 2 a.m. more than 1000 people had registered for tornado assistance;
“FEMA has more than 400 personnel already on the ground supporting the response, including three national Urban Search and Rescue Teams, an Incident Management Assistance Team, as well as personnel focused on helping survivors register for and receive the federal assistance made available by the major disaster declaration signed by the President on Monday night.”
May 23, 2013: “According to FEMA, since Monday night, the national Urban Search and Rescue teams completed searches of more than 1,200 structures in the affected area.
FEMA and federal partners have established an Incident Support Base to stage commodities. More than 127,000 liters of water and nearly 30,000 meals have been delivered to the state to support response efforts.”
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2013/05/21/president-obama-responds-tornadoes-oklahoma
= new reply since forum marked as read
I think a lot of us are losing our grip. We have never had to deal with anything as horrible as this administration, and it is increasing our anxiety as well as anger.
Take care of yourself. 
