"It took four days for FEMA to get its first people into South Florida after Andrew"

Boston Globe ^ | August 26, 2004 | By Brendan Farrington, Associated Press

[InspiredPath1]

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. --Betty Babitzke and her husband were so frustrated after Hurricane Andrew slammed into Florida in 1992 that they pulled out a map and started looking for a safer part of the state in which to spend their retirement. They settled on Punta Gorda.

Then, two weeks ago, came Hurricane Charley, second only to Andrew on the list of Florida's most destructive hurricanes.

That is because life after Charley is much better than life after Andrew.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and local authorities are being praised for their response to Charley, something that did not happen after Andrew.

"After Andrew, it was chaotic, absolutely chaotic," Babitzke said, describing the lack of services and free-for-all created by intersections with missing signs and signals. "Cleanup was extremely slow. There's no comparison. This response team, they have it together. They're at least three days ahead. It's fabulous."

It is a far cry from what Kate Hale saw 12 years ago. Hale, who was the Dade County emergency management director when Andrew hit, asked in exasperation in the storm's aftermath: "Where in the hell is the cavalry?"

This time, "they've had food, water, people, equipment and communications in almost immediately. We were waiting days for that and sometimes longer," said Hale, now president and chief executive of the South Florida Mental Health Association. "This one's gone off the way you would want to see things happen."

It took four days for FEMA to get its first people into South Florida after Andrew. In the same time after Charley, disaster workers had finished search-and-rescue operations and were focused on getting residents necessities like food and water.

[nicko]

I was boots on the ground in Florida City with the 227th Supply Company out of the 101st Corps Support, Ft. Campbell...we were the first active duty unit to arrive after Andrew hit...I almost wore my T shirt today that showed the logistics pipeline up and running 150 hours after the hurricane blew through- we redeployed from Florida City up to Cutler Ridge, by the zoo...you're right...there was no security...

[anonymoussierra]

---

"Love righteousness, ye that be judges of the earth: think of the Lord with a good (heart,) and in simplicity of heart seek him.

For froward thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried, reproveth the unwise.

For wisdom is a loving spirit; and will not acquit a blasphemer of his words: for God is witness of his reins, and a true beholder of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue."

---

thank you all

[js1138]

Believe me, a lot more thought has gone into the survival of NOLA than the survival of central Florida. Florida is not in danger of semi-permanent flooding. Andrew was as strong a storm, and blew down thousands of homes, but the death toll was much lower.

Water kills more people than wind.

My thoughts on the busses is, why are so many of them under water right now? It isn't my job to plan for the survival of NOLA, but it was the Mayor's.

[Dick Vomer]

The reason Punta Gorda did so well was a man named "Wayne Salade". He was mostly ridiculed for years but persisted on always being prepared... and bugging all the hospitals, police, fire and rescue personel to be ready. He came through like a champ when we needed him.

Our town (Punta Gorda) was hit..hard. 2 of the 3 hospitals were knocked out and the first night dusk to dawn curfew was strictly enforced. People who violated that were put in a parking lot with wire around them. Our neighbors armed themselves and any "stranger" was asked his business and "to leave". People were stealing generators and breaking into houses.

10 days without power or water. We used pool water for toilets that still worked and cleaned up in another neighbors pool.

Best thing that ever happened to my kids... they learned that if you get hit.. you get up, clean up and move on to help your neighbors.

But the key was COMPETENT city officials and emergency personel. not patronage scam artists..like most democrats are.

For any DU lurkers or libs in the audience, when the power is off in your city and it's late at night.... my wife thanked me for my presence and that of the 12 guage at the ready.

This should be a lesson for all the "gun control" crowd. We are one power outage from anarchy. A well armed society is a polite society.

[Itzlzha]

OOPS!

My bad...I mixed up the years!

Sorry!

[Dick Vomer]

"Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics."

you are the second person to understand the problem on this site.... thank you.. it restores my faith in the FR...

I'd like to see how many people realize what it takes in equipment, planning supply, delivery, off loading, extrication and resupply...for 10000-30000 undisciplined civilians.... they're lucky that they're getting the stuff now.

The Fox network should get the general in charge of logistics during the first Gulf War to give a primer.

[jennyjenny]

He wasn't president.

[Peach]

But it puts to bed the lie that people aren't getting help in NO because of their race.

[gitmo]

I just don't understand this. Captain Picard could get a rescue team on site in a few hours.

[InspiredPath1]

I know.

[gitmo]

Clinton got pounded after Andrew. Why was that? He wasn't the President. The looting was massive and if you don't remember the houses that weren't blown down were burned down by their owners. Actually, I don't remember that. I remember a lot of people helping each other and some sporadic looting. But no gangs of looters like we're seeing in Narlins. Do you have some links to those stories? Miami was much worse then NO How many thousands were killed at Homestead? And how deep was the water the following week? and I remember at Homestead AFB the military looted the BX and Shoppette because it took 30 days for help from the outside to arrive.

[niteowl]

As I recall, then-Prez Bush Sr had quite a bit of relief ready to roll/fly in almost immediately, but couldn't send it until then-Gov Lawton Chiles (with a "D" BTW) formally asked for it. That request didn't happen for at least a couple of days, yet Bush got the blame anyway.

[SueRae]

And not every chopper is equipped to perform those airlifts. The first responders have been phenomenal doing with what they have.

[samantha]

The reason that Fema was slow to respond after Andrew was number 1 Governor Walkin Lawton Chiles did not ask for any help. This is similar to the Blanco messup. Number 2 reason is that Fema was not a really good Organization then, they did even more incredibly dumb things then than they did last year. One really dumb thing was give several million dollars to rebuild a Stadium in San Francisco area after the Earthquake, like they did not have Insurance and like the Taxpayers should pay for their stadium. Bush 41 is responsible for getting it to more of a responsible Entity. Those uninformed twits gave Bush 41 a black eye when it was Chiles fault. Our state workers and it's volunteers, especially the Jaycees in Broward County (which I volunteered with) kept everything going until the Feds came in. We cannot let the dems pull this same BS again of blaming a Bush for a worthless Governor's mistake and incompetence. This is totally different than NOLA, the local PD's did not put up with lawlessness, and there was very little rain for such a huge Hurricane.

[backhoe]

It took 4 days for FEMA to get into South Florida after Hurricane Andrew. This article puts to bed the lie being perpetrated by the race baiters in the press today that the New Orleans victims weren't being helped in a timely manner because they are black. You might want to make sure this makes your archive list.

Will do- thanks.

[tutstar]

ping

[tutstar]

bump

[backhoe]

This is exactly what cost Bush 41 the 1992 victory.

I think so, too. Our "friends" in the Jackal Pack Media were determined to make him look bad, and get their symbiote ( Clinton ) into office regardless of the harm caused.

[Siena Dreaming]

I agree. It's a disaster, for Pete's sake! It takes a few days to get a handle on things.

[samantha]

You have that right. You Cannot hire your political cronies or your relatives or people you meet in an elevator to do the most important job there is. public Safety should not be where you stick people that you cannot find a place for because all they did was help you get elected Mayor or whatever. Not much will be done to insure that the best,and most qualified as well as motivated are hired unless a big stink is made. There should be a complete review of what went wrong and the ultimate remedy in my book is HIRE QUALIFIED PEOPLE, with a good Public Service attitude.