The FEMA Inspector General concludes that FEMA managed to accomplish every screw up that people complained about.
FEMA made every incompetent move imaginable and a few that no one even thought possible. FEMA under the Shrubbery has entered a new dimension by managing to perform the triple play of public agencies: malfeasance, nonfeasance, and misfeasance.
It was a “heck of a job”.
Hurricane season in a month and a half.
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Established: 21 November 2004
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7 comments
I suppose you could say they are batting 1000.00.
At least one segment of government is performing “perfectly”.
It was an amazing performance. You would have thought they could have managed to do something right by accident. Even if they had flipped a coin they would have been right half the time, but these guys have attained a new plateau of incompetence.
The emergency management people in Florida don’t even want to have meetings with FEMA until all of the issues from 2004 are resolved. We still have debris from hurricane Ivan that hasn’t been taken care of, because FEMA can’t make a decision about it.
That debris is really troubling – even a strong thunderstorm could toss it around with the force of a Cat5.
Can’t say I blame the local emergency management people for not meeting with FEMA – FEMA’s only function seems to be withholding funds.
The problem is that FEMA can’t decide who makes decisions. The debris did get blown around when Dennis hit us, and they lost a significant number of trailers because they refused to let people move them inland. Stupidity, pure stupidity.
…as I keep saying (and saying and saying), the folks I know who went to N.O. on Incident Command teams, people who are highly experienced in dealing with the massive confusion of situations just like this, were astounded by the absolute root incompetence of the folks who were supposed to be in charge and the waste and abuse (why bring fraud into this, eh?) that seemed to surround every decision that the FEMA management made. I have a fear that they aren’t capable of handling an emergency at any level, because their job is to respond to the aftermath – regardless of the origin of the emergency – and they have failed by the numbers over the last two hurricane seasons…
Bryan, have you seen this?
Hurricane Evacuees’ Trailer Explodes
FEMA’s response? blame the victim, of course:
Right. Apparently this is the second exploding FEMA trailer.
Via Pam’s House Blend.
Jack, they abused first responders by a total lack of respect for their abilities. People responded for all over and weren’t allowed to do their job. They turned away hundreds of flat bottomed jon boats that people brought down to use in search and rescue operations, as well as a dozen airboats that people brought from the Everglades.
Whatever they had affected the Red Cross, because they were totally screwed up as well.
If it helps at all, those of us who live down here know about the people coming to help, and realize that FEMA kept them from doing their job. They are appreciated.
Steve, I saw it and knew it would happen. I have a propane lights and a grill, and if you aren’t used to making the connections, they will leak. There are a lot of people who don’t use gas appliances, and with the smell of mildew in those stupid trailers I’m not surprised they didn’t know what was going on.
Call FEMA. That’s a hoot. Everyone knows it will be months if FEMA responds. FEMA should have a local service company to take care of the trailers, but that’s another thing they forgot.