How You Can Help Floridians Suffering From Hurricane Charley [instructions from FL Gov Jeb Bush]

State of Florida Web Site - Hurricane Charley Resources ^ | Aug 15, 2004 | summer

[summer]

www.floridadisaster.org


Hello FR posters,

Thank you for your posts to me, and yes, I am OK. After we called FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA, the power went back on in an hour.

I am writing this note to let you know I saw Gov Jeb Bush on tv today, and he explained how people can help those Floridians suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Charley.

His comments were also published HERE in the NYT, and this is what he said:

The Republican governor urged people who wanted to help storm victims to donate money to the Red Cross or the Salvation Army rather than sending food, clothing and other supplies.

"I would urge people to provide financial support if they want to act on their compassion or act on their heart," he said.

The state's official web site has a lot of contact information in a large red box at the top of the homepage for these organizations: www.myflorida.com

Here is an excerpt of other comments by Gov. Jeb Bush, as reported in the above NYT article:

...."We are here to help you," he replied.

"There's no science that can exactly say where a hurricane will go," he said.

"This is God's way of telling us that he's almighty and we're mortal," said the governor, standing on Marion Street in Punta Gorda, a strip of small restaurants and stores with brick sidewalks and ornamental street lights, now littered with debris.

..."We live in paradise," he said. "This is kind of the bad side to that."

He said the devastation was worse than that of Hurricane Andrew, which raged through Florida in 1992, because its damage was spread over a wider area, from the southwest coast at Punta Gorda to the Atlantic coast at Daytona Beach.

[Gov] Bush said that while it was too early for a damage estimate, the cost would be "in the billions of dollars, adding, "If you count the number of roofs that need to be fixed, it's in the thousands."

...The National Guard had dispatched 1,500 troops to Charlotte County and neighboring areas by Saturday morning and planned to have 5,000 helping with damage assessment and search-and-rescue missions by evening, Gov. Bush said.

... In his news conference, Governor Bush pointed out that residents of many of the damaged trailer parks had been urged to evacuate.

"I've always worried about hurricane amnesia and you have to go through one and experience it to realize that it is going to happen," Gov. Bush said. " To the extent that it didn't, that's part of the reason there is going to be tragedy here today."

The local tv and radio newscasters are repeating Gov Bush's remarks, encouraging financial help to the Red Cross or Salvation Army. This will go to the people who have suffered, and is preferred to sending clothing or food because of the logistics of handling supplies. Right now some post offices are badly damaged.

Thanks for your help and prayers. A lot of people have lost their homes and businesses.

Sincerely,

summer

[summer]

In addition, from NYT article: Mr. Bush's brother, President Bush, announced that he would visit the state on Sunday. "Many lives have been affected by this hurricane and I know you join me in sending our prayers to those people looking for solace and help,'' he told a crowd as he campaigned in Iowa.

BTW, the newscasters I saw on local tv interviewed local people and others, and they were very glad Gov Bush was here right away, assessing the damage, calming people, etc.

There has also been an enormous number of state and local officials and volunteers from Broward, Dade, Sarasota and all over Florida coming into SW FL. So, people are pulling together here.

If you can offer financial help, as Gov Bush mentioned, click on "Disaster Responders Request Donations" or "Florida's Red Cross Chapters" HERE. And, thanks. :)

[summer]

Thanks again for your posts to me. I now have power, but, there is a lot that needs to be done here.

[summer]

FYI, an excerpt of info from the florida disaster website I linked to (below the graphic in my post):

***Important Hotlines***

• State of Florida Emergency Information 24-hour hotline (FEIL): 1-800-342-3557

• FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Registration: 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) TTY: 1-800-462-7585

• State Volunteer and Donations Hotline: 1-800-FL-HELP1 (1-800-354-3571)

• Florida Power and Light: 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243)

• Department of Insurance: 1-800-22-STORM (1-800-227-8676)

• Attorney General's Price Gouging Hotline : 1-800-646-0444

• Agricultural and Consumer Services: 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352)

[tutstar]

I'm so glad you're ok. Haven't seen you on threads lately but I've been more quiet than usual.
I've been praying for safety and protection this week for all in the storm's path. It's terrible destruction and loss of life.
I'll be praying that all the help needed comes quickly.
We've been trying to contact friends in Orlando but no luck yet.

2 1/2 months of hurricane season left too! UGH!

[summer]

The state web site is www.myflorida.com There are a lot of links to info in the box currently on the top of the page.

[summer]

Haven't seen you on threads lately but I've been more quiet than usual.

Oh, I was all over those McGreevy threads.

Thanks for you nice post, tutstar. :)

[summer]

We've been trying to contact friends in Orlando but no luck yet

This hurricane's path changed at the last moment. People in Tampa who had evacuated to Orlando discovered they should have stayed in Tampa, because the hurricane went through Central FL/Orlando -- and, as I understand, actually missed Tampa.

[tutstar]

Where are you? I'm in Jacksonville.

[summer]

Hope you're all OK... summer

[summer]

I missed the eye of the storm, but I was close enough.

[tutstar]

Yes I know. We were glued to the weather channel and had tornadoes here from Bonnie on Thursday. We have a big closet downstairs that the whole family can fit in. We cleaned that thing in lightning speed so we could shelter in there. If Charley hadn't switched course we would likely have had what Orlando got.

[summer]

Glad to know you're OK.

[summer]

FYI.

[summer]

Maybe you can ping your lists. Thanks.

[floriduh voter]

Florida Blood Services

You can find donation centers here:

http://www.fbsblood.org/html/home/critical.html

The American Red Cross

http://www.fbsblood.org/html/home/critical.html

-Florida Chapters:

http://www.tallytown.com/redcross/chapters.html

-Donation information:

http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html

-Volunteerism:

http://www.redcross.org/services/volunteer/0,1082,0_325_,00.html

Volunteer Florida

http://www.disasterhelp.net/vflorida/

Summer, it's stormier here today than it was yesterday. The ducks just waddled in the backyard here, taking a break from the pond across the street.

I took a break myself and went to Walmart to get some pictures developed.

[summer]

Summer, it's stormier here today than it was yesterday. The ducks just waddled in the backyard here, taking a break from the pond across the street.

It was just awful further south. All the water in the ground and elsewhere made the humidity in the air unbearable. Gld you're OK, fv. And thanks for posting that info.

[summer]

Summer, it's stormier here today than it was yesterday. The ducks just waddled in the backyard here, taking a break from the pond across the street.

It was just awful further south. All the water in the ground and elsewhere made the humidity in the air unbearable. Gld you're OK, fv. And thanks for posting that info.

[summer]

Tried twice and still couldn't get it right! GLd= Glad

[summer]

FYI.

[summer]

FYI.