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For Your Consideration
An old joke is a camel was a horse designed by a committee. A new va r i a t ion is an emu is an eagle designed by politicians.
Under the Carter administration, it was decided to put all of the emergency disaster resources of the federal government under one new agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Initially, FEMA hired former firefighters, law enforcement and military personnel first responders familiar with handling disasters and knowing how to get infrastructure from down power lines to damaged roads and bridges back functioning.
FEMA organized the nation into various regions and began to place emergency supplies and equipment into those new areas. Early response to disasters showed the system was working.
Then came Hurricane Andrew in Florida. The massive hurricane overwhelmed FEMA and it became clear a major widespread disaster response could still be a problem.
Later, Hurricane Katrina was a disaster of mammoth proportions. M assive fl ooding and damage included a secondary problem of mismanagement by the local and state officials. Bad flood control policies, putting people in the Superdome after being told not to, and crazy zoning and conflicting governmental actions made an extremely bad situation worse.
Later, President Obama decided to “reorganize” FEMA and removed the veteran first responders and replaced them with individuals from groups like AmeriCorps.
AmeriCorps was an agency set up to be like an American Peace Corps. The problem was America is not a third world nation and young volunteers aged 18 to 26 tended to be college students planning to go from undergraduate to graduate studies and saw AmeriCorps as a source of funding and chance to put some “public service” on their resume that required less commitment than serving in the military.
The Civilian Conservation Corps of the Depression era gave poor youth a chance to learn skills doing conservation work. The CCC organization was run by the military and provided needed employment with discipline and an expected work ethic.
AmeriCorps jobs seemed to be make work jobs with little supervision, training or follow up evaluation. Obama proposed these youth be trained to handle emergencies. They and other non-experienced first responders took over FEMA. The Obama administration also brought with it a political side regarding who got hired and promoted in the over 19,000-employee agency. When Hurricane Helene hit Florida, FEMA workers were told to avoid certain areas “for their safety from people who might be hostile to federal workers” — these areas tended to be in Republican neighborhoods! One employee went so far as to tell workers to avoid homes with Trump signs. She was fired but she and others claimed “a negative political climate” existed in FEMA leadership.
The flooding from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina was widespread. Over 78,000 homes badly damaged or destroyed. Roads, highways, businesses, schools, and bridges destroyed. FEMA showed up in larger damaged cities like Ashville but rural areas were ignored. Some four months later, many rural areas have not seen an official from FEMA or been offered federal assistance.
One FEMA official on Thanksgiving announced 105 trailers would be soon arriving to house homeless victims. Months later a total of only 46 trailers had arrived.
Newly elected President Trump made a trip to North Carolina and was shocked at the disaster he found. He immediately ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to work on roads, bridges and other needed infrastructure. He also changed FEMA policy to provide longer-term assistance to the people of North Carolina.
He announced FEMA either needs to be reorganized or eliminated and replaced. What he found and praised were charities, church groups and individuals for all they had done.
One of those groups was started in Fairfield. Christy Huger with the Mountain View Farm told the Rockbridge Breakfast Club that her husband and friends had previously camped in the flooded areas. They put together two trailers and packed them with food and supplies and took them down right away after the flooding.
They were overwhelmed by the damage and started a charity, Appalachian Hope 4 U, a 501(c)(3) charity that buys used trailers, refurbishes them, loads them with needed clothing, food and supplies and presents the title to the trailers to a church organization so when one family is done with the trailer, the church can make it available to another family. They have taken down 11 refurbished trailers and have four near ready to transport down.
Mrs. Huger told the Breakfast Club these are proud people who have lost everything and have trouble accepting charity.
“They may have lost everything but are hesitant to take supplies as they worry there may be families who need the aid more than them,” she reported.
She told of an older lady who lost everything who was walking around a center with emergency supplies but not taking anything. She was asked if she could use anything and the lady humbly asked if she might have a cup of coffee.
Many disaster victims have been invited by friends and relatives to move in with them but they often don’t realize their guests are not just staying for a few days but weeks or months while getting homes repaired or rebuilt. This is why the trailers are so important to handle this longterm situation.
The media has moved on to the fires in California but North Carolina’s disaster is ongoing. If you can afford it, please help with donations of food and supplies or money to charities or churches helping there.
To contribute to Appalachian Hope 4 U, visit a Go-FundMe link found on their Facebook page or at their 501(c)(3) charity partner: www.FeedTheNeedFoundation. org.
