Considering all the abuse heaped on the Federal Emergency Management Agency for its shoddy response to Hurricane Katrina, it’s worth noting that FEMA is getting high marks from Greensburg residents for the agency’s quick response to the tornado disaster, according to an AP article.
FEMA has moved supplies quickly into place and gone the extra mile to cover cleanup expenses. One elderly resident received a temporary mobile home, fully furnished, the day after requesting one.
Granted, the Greensburg disaster is on a much smaller scale than Katrina, but it’s good to know that FEMA is able to do something right.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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20 Comments
According to a recent Wichita EAGLE article, sounds like about half of Greensburg’s former 1,500 residents are moving on, presumably to Pratt, Kinsley, Dodge City … or perhaps even Wichita if they want to help pay for the new white elephant downtown arena.
However, the current Greensburg population must be expanded by FEMA workers, construction workers, etc. … some of whom might choose to remain there.
I would like to see a definitive article telling about the current Greensburg situation. Is the electricity back on? Does the Greensburg school system have a full compliment of teachers? Is Highway 54 being reconstructed a block north as mentioned in the newspaper? Is downtown Greensburg being rebuilt?
Could a WE Blogger drive over there to find out and report back?
“One elderly resident received a temporary mobile home, fully furnished, the day after requesting one.”
I bet it was one of those mobile homes from New Orleans that are contaminated.
Yes, with the Bush administration FEMA never have a disaster greated than in a town of only 3000 people. Sure, FEMA looks great in Greensburg, but face it Greensburg is a small town.
You can also be sure Governor Sebelius was on FEMA like white on rice to make sure they responded. Sebelius pressured Pat Roberts to resquest Air Force C-17 cargo planes to expedite relief equipment to Kansas. (They were en route from Georgia until Sebelius reminded Roberts they were driving past a base in Alabama that had C-17s on the ground. I saw them land, days ahead of their original highway ETA, at McConnel.)
Roberts, of course, took the credit. Sebelius, to her credit, let him.
I agree long time poster, Sebelius was already on Bush’s neck about the National Guard (and rightfully so). Sebelius was the state government in Greensburg. Team Sebelius and the local Greensburg residents who knew what they needed and formed what seems to be a strong local group, and this is what happens when government works.
I am ready to admit that Sebelius is a much better Governor than Blanco, in NOLA.
The big difference in Greensburg is that the people stepped up to the plate. They did not wait around for other to help. They got in there and started helping themselves. This laid a solid foundation for the outside assistance to come in and assist.
The people of Greensburg are the heroes.
The big difference in Greensburg is that the people stepped up to the plate……
The big difference was that Greensburg wasn’t under water and their citizens weren’t laying dead in the street.
Greensburg people have shown what they are made of and responded to the disaster with grace and poise.
Yes FEMA has done well and it was proven in a small scale disaster. I’m sure there people in FEMA looking at the logistical support models how Greensburg post-incident response worked and are looking to scale it up to apply lessons learned in a large scale disaster.
The tidal surge and flooding is what hurt the Gulf Coast with Katrina. Navigating flood waters after the hurricane made it a logistical nightmare. Also, bridges and roadways were completely washed away or impassable.
Which brings up the idea of creating manageable units to respond to gridded off regions. I’m sure there is something already in FEMA’s arsenal, but it is easier on managers if they know they have dedicated units they can coordinate with, rather than one giant organization.
Re-building is another subject. I would expect that New Orleans will never become what it once was.
“The big difference in Greensburg is that the people stepped up to the plate.”
The big difference is that the people in Greensburg are white.
Hey, you dumb$%#@&^.
These people had everything taken away, in 15 minutes. That is all the warning they had.
How many days and hours warning did Katrina victims have??? They were too stupid to move out of the way.
“Yes FEMA has done well and it was proven in a small scale disaster. I’m sure there people in FEMA looking at the logistical support models how Greensburg post-incident response worked and are looking to scale it up to apply lessons learned in a large scale disaster.”
Posted by the troll Kansas.
FEMA was able to handle “large scale disasters” during Clinton’s terms.
Clinton’s appointee, Jame Lee Witt, had emergency management skills, and transformed FEMA into an effective and responsive agency.
Bush’s appointees were not qualified to direct FEMA, and undid Witt’s work at the agency.
The key point is that FEMA should have a qualified director.
Amen…”Brownie” didn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground.
“The big difference is that people in Greensburg stepped up to the plate.”
The big difference is that no high-dollar developers have designs on black-owned, Gulf-front property in Greensburg.
FEMA has had two years to do right by New Orleans. It’s self-evident why they have not: the Republican ethnic cleansing of the Crescent City.
If Greensburg were instead Blacksburg, would the results be the same?
I don’t think the disaster in New Orleans had anything to do with race…you can’t compare the two disasters because they are totally different. Small towns always rally together when bad things happen..that’s the beauty of living in a small community where people know each other. If the same thing happened in New York City, the results would have been the same as it was in new Orleans..it was all about the scope of the disaster and the weak response by FEMA.
800 years ago, two Native Americans stood on the banks of the Mississippi delta and looked over the low lying lands that extended to the Gulf Coast.
One said to the other, good for fishing, hunting – bad for setting a camp and making a hut. Angry waters speak loudly before the leaves fall.
400 years later, white men came a long and said.
This would be a good place to camp and build a house! I think we’ll call it New Orleans.
Thus, the wisdom of modern man.
But race does have something to do with the rebuilding of New Orleans. Isn’t it ironic that the casinos and business developers have their money and have rebuilt but most of the poor black or white are still waiting for their money?
Why? I defintely think that race has something to do with it and no, I am not black.
Barbara Bush summed it up for the Bush Administration when she made the comment about those people at the SuperDome having it better there than in their own homes. That show of arrogance and disregard for fellow Americans said it all for the Bush Administration. Some things will never be forgotten.
“[800 years ago] One said to the other, good for fishing, hunting – bad for setting a camp and making a hut.”
Posted by the TROLL Kansas.
800 years ago, a “Katrina” storm surge would probably not have done to that area what it did recently.
800 years ago, they did not know how important the wetlands were to reducing the storm surge into the area where New Orleans is today.
We knew, but we ignored it — and instead relied on a poorly designed, poorly constructed levee system to protect the city.
And 800 years ago, they did not know how to build “huts” to withstand hurricanes. James Lee Witt, and many others, know how to.