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]

We have had more heavy weather today than we got from Charley.
Yeah, a lot of the surrounding weather from this was very bad. Glad you're OK. Thanks for your post, PogySailor.

[squarebarb]

I meant to add, thanks for the FEMA number. I will get it to them as soon as we are back in telephone contact with them.

[summer]

You're welcome, but do call FEMA for them. And, the link in my post #48 to the Salvation Army has specific Hurricane Charley info right on the homepage.

[summer]

Good. :)

[summer]

Thanks, oceanview.

[oceanview]

their normal homeowners insurance policy should cover wind damage - there was no storm surge (flood) damage, I think their insurance will pay off.

[summer]

More updates here, from a local tv station in the area: WBBH TV

[summer]

Here are images from the disaster: CLICK HERE

[Rome2000]

Thanks for the ping, our church is collecting for the relief effort tomorrow.

All Floridians need to understand that it is only a matter of time until one is hit by a monster storm, and need to prepare accordingly.

[nicmarlo]

I really feel sorry for those people who lost their homes and businesses.

Not having lived through a hurricane, or tornado, I just can't imagine the fright and devastation--not just to material possessions, of course....but members of your family, pictures, just everything for some, gone, gone. Very sad.

[zarf]

The State and the Feds obviously learned their lessons; they were a no show for days after Andrew.

[squarebarb]

Thanks for the info. Just so sorry for my elderly aunt and uncle, even with insurance etc. it's going to be so hard for them to live in a hotel or motel and be like refugees.. such good people, He was retired from one of the big Granite City Illinois steel plants and they were so uninformed of Florida hurricanes. But at least they had sense enough to evacuate.

My dear Aunt Marcia worked in a C-Rations factory in St. Louis during World War II and used to put notes in the C-Rations cans describing herself (with good reason)as a gorgeous 110-pound blonde and wrote to more lonely soldiers probably than anybody else during the war. She was and is a live wire.

I am thinking I should drive to Florida and give them a hand with whatever they need. anxiously awaiting news.

[ccmay]

One thing that would help would be for Florida to get rid of the ridiculous anti-gouging laws they passed after Hurricane Andrew.

There are hundreds of people around the country who would load up a U-haul truck with chainsaws and generators and be in Florida tomorrow morning if they could make it financially worthwhile.

You can deplore this as greed and gouging all you like, but it is a fact as immutable as the law of gravity. Hats off to the Red Cross and other volunteers, but they will not make nearly as much difference to peoples' well being as some suitably compensated capitalists.

-ccm

[AZHSer]

Don't worry about your friends. I am sure they are just fine. My husband's daughter lives in Clearwater and they have been just fine throughout the whole thing. She only live a block from where they were making people evacuate. His ex-MIL did not fare as well in Ft. Meyer. She lost the roof to her home. Everyone is safe though and the roof can be replaced.

Prays for those who were not as lucky...

[nicmarlo]

Thanks for your reassurances...I still haven't heard from my friend...but I will continue to pray she and her husband's family are okay.

Prayers, indeed, for all affected.

[Brad’s Gramma]

BTTT with prayers of thanksgiving that YOU'RE OK!!!!

[gatorman]

Dear Summer,

Gatorman has NOT posted in FR for over four years ... just lurking ... YOU got me involved in fighting the left-wing libbies, here, in Gainesville . . . have NOT had the time to do much else . . .

However, so very glad to hear YOU are safe!

God Bless and Keep YOU and your FAMILY!

Gatorman

[Dog Gone]

I'm not too keen on the Red Cross which appears to have become as corrupt as the United Way, but I'll make a donation to the Salvation Army. They have been squeaky clean, as far as I know, and I believe my dollars will go to help those in need.

[Joe Brower]

Glad to hear you're OK, summer.

Being without power is a real bummer, especially this time of year, but at least we still have roofs on our houses to keep everything dry while we wait for the lights to come back on, eh? $;-)