Calif. Wildfire Victims Ask: Where's FEMA?

[Liberty Belle]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/17/national/main3841429.shtml

Cali Wildfire Victims Ask: Where's FEMA?
Agency Hasn't Kept Promises For Housing And Assistance, Homeowners Say
RAMONA, Calif., Feb. 17, 2008

(AP)
<snip>
FEMA brought dozens of mobile homes to Southern California after the fires, only to find their own guidelines prevented them from putting them on many properties in rough terrain. San Diego County officials say dozens of applicants were denied homes because their properties were inaccessible to trucks, didn't have connections into the electrical grid or were on hillsides deemed at mudslide risk.

"They don't have any familiarity with these areas so they can't conceive of the needs being different," said Deena Raver, a contractor who was hired by San Diego County to help fire victims. "You're talking about one area with sewage and water and other places that are very rural."


<snip>

The agency has only distributed 33 mobile homes in the {San Diego}county, including 14 on American Indian reservation land...In 2003, the agency sent short, adaptable "travel trailers" to house people living in the mountains, but they are being avoided now amid concerns about toxic chemicals; this week the agency said it would move hurricane victims out of more than 35,000 trailers because tests indicate some of the temporary homes contain high levels of formaldehyde.

Instead, FEMA only dispatched three-bedroom modular homes to Southern California - luxurious compared to the 15-foot travel trailers, but, at 60 feet, too long to fit on many properties or be moved up steep roads full of switchbacks. They also require too much electricity to run off generators or solar panels and have to be hooked into the power grid. They have to be on flat land, away from any hills that might be at risk for mudslides.

(see full story at link above)

[SpiralHawk]

1. "FEMA is staffed by republicon homelander cronies, and..." - Commander AWOL

"...they are doing a heckuva job. Smirk. As usual. You can always depend on republicon homelanders to be, um, consistent. Smirk."

- Commander AWOL

[SoCalDem]

2. Federal Emergency MANAGEMENT Agency

Fema needs to:

1. arrive at the emergency
2. assess the damage
3. PAY for the local assistance (at the location, by LOCAL people)

[NV Whino]

3. Just as well

They would just be full of formaldehyde.

[Liberty Belle]

4. Some were living in a tent city created by Blackwater, for a while.

Disaster response, Bush style.

[NV Whino]

5. Whew!

Thank goodness it wasn't tents by Haliburton.