Your house is just a pile of rubbles but it's not enough : FEMA to tornado families

Nearly one-third of the 80,000 applications for Federal Emergency Management Agency grants have initially been declared ineligible to receive money.

blog.al.com...


Tie it up in red tape and make it difficult. Well, the one thing katrina victims did get was prepaid shopping cards. Are the people in Alabama getting that much?

This is just disgusting.

Obama stood there and said to these people "We won't forget you". Riiiiight.

reply to post by niceguybob

I thin the intent is to say the people dont qualify for FEMA assistance based on the overall situation. Donw here in Joplin, FEMA is handing out 30k checks to people who meet the basic requirement with one very large caveat. Within 90 days the people who take the money are required to show FEMA they do in fact qualify for the money.

If they do not, they are responsible for repaying every single cent owed, and rightfully so.

One of the probems we face as Americans, and its getting worse as weeks go by, is our ability to blame anyone and everything except ourselves for failure. No one can predict when a tornade is going to tear through their house. Insurance is available, especially to those who live in tornado alley here in the midwest. Hurricane insurance is available to those who live along the coastal zones.

People are ont required to have it, and if they chose not to pay for it, thats their choice. Why should we be forced to pick up the bill for people who opted to risk it in the first place? It defeats the entire purpose of insurance does it not? So your insurance says you are not covered, no worries, the FEderal Government will pick up the bill.

We have become so dependant on the Government its not even funny. One of the amazing things I have ever seen in my life was the tornado that rupped through my toen of Joplin. The new media can not adequately describe the damage.. You have to be here first hand to actually have the magnitude of it sink in.

Instead of doing nothing and waiting for the government to come, the people of joplin opened their doors to each other. Food, water, shelter, clothing, assistance - it didnt matter if they knew the people or not. People handed over cars and cark keys to people they did not know to help them out.

Personally speaking it reminded me a lot of Hurricane Katrina. All people know about Katrina is it destroyed New Orleans and was a massive Charlie Foxtrot. What did not make the news was the surrounding states who also took a massive punch by the hurricane. Why didnt these states make the news? Because they had their crap together and did not rely or wait for the federal government to come and respond. They started things on their own, and by the time the request was made to FEMA for assistance, it was nothing but a shopping list of suppluies the affected states needed, unlike Louisiana.

FEMA is an unmbrella organization that represents close to 22 federal departments, from the DoE, DoT, Homeland security, nuclear regulatory agency, housing and uran development etc etc etc.

The state takes an assesment of what they need and cannot supply, and turn that lit over to FEMA, who finds the resources and has it brought it and turned over to the locals who know best where the resources need to go.

While I am sympthetic for the people who lost their house, to lay all of the blame on the shoulders of FEMA is innapropriate to say the least. From the article, these people appeared to jump to the very last step, ignoring everything in between.

The other thing to take into account is were these areas ever declared a FEderal Disaster? FEMA can still respond at state requests to areas that are not declared federal disasters by the PResident, but it restricts their involvement even more.

Last but not least, any person who was denied FEMA assistance is encouraged to appeal that decision.

Personal accountability...

reply to post by Thunder heart woman


Katrina was a joke, and had nothing to do with FEMA mismanagement and everything to do with a lack of leadership fro the Mayor and the Govenor at the time. FEMA, as stated time and again, is a support agency, not a lead agency, and is subordinate to state agencies for response.

Maybe those people who recived cards should have spent the money on needed items, like food clothing and shelter, instead of big screen tvs and playstations.

Personal accountability and priorities.

reply to post by Vitchilo


Insufficient damage? Really? They must be joking!
I have friends in this neighborhood, I visit a couple of times a week, who were not as devastated but still had major damage. They are still waiting on word from FEMA. Their house is unlivable because of black mold all in the ceiling. SHE has been very sick with upper respiratory infection since 2 days after the tornado, HE was refused unemployment compensation for the 3 weeks of work he missed due to the power outage and the hit they took from the tornado.

Back in 05 when Ivan hit Pensacola, my cousins house was flooded. 4 ft of water stood in her house for a couple of days. FEMA had a very nice new camper/trailors for her and the rest of the neighborhood within a week. She lived in this for several months until her house was completely repaired.

My friends in Union Grove are lucky. A neighbor offered them a rental home until their house is repaired or scrapped (whichever the insurance company decides.) We finished getting them moved in 2 weeks ago. Some of the folks in Union Grove and surrounding areas of damage are not as lucky. Why can't FEMA let the folks who lost everything use these nice trailors until their own repairs can be made?

reply to post by Xcathdra


Why on earth did your post receive a boatload of stars? Not to argue a mute point with you but FEMA is there as CONTINUITY of goods and services as priority #1.

Even because you work for them, you can still show some empathy FIRST, and then go through the red tape blabla bla explanation of the burden those pesky survivors tax them out with...

reply to post by neo96


Many policies while they cover a tornado, will not cover wind, so with the final word on Joplin having been 200mph 'winds' insurance companies could then go have a nice dinner out and buy their daughter a Lexus.

reply to post by CalmSerenity


You HAVE to read this thread and tell your friend to seek proper medical help asap!

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by antar


As I pointed out in other threads, and apparently have to poiint it out again in this thread, I dont work for FEMA. If you actually understood and comprehended what I type, you would realize this., I do law enforcement for a living, and understand how emergency management works and what exactly it is FEMA does, which again is something you fail to understand.

I have no issues being sympathetic to people who deserve it, incuding this family. However, feeling sorry for them does not translate into FEMA writing out a chack to peope who have insurance. If you took the time to read the article, you would see where the homeowner actually states he didnt check with his insurance company first, and instead went straight to FEMA.

His insurance will cover his loss.

The other people who have been denied can appeal, and as of the article have failed to appeal the decisions.

Why exactly are you so intent on making FEMA out to be something its not? Do you hate them that much that your willing to twist their function to support your BS paranoid ignorance laced agenda?

All I did was to ask people to learn what it is FEMA actually does, how it operates, how its activated and who its subordinate to.

Why is that so problematic for you? Why are you afraid of knowledge?

reply to post by antar


take that up with your congressman so they can regulate the policies and tell them to cover 5 mph winds and jack up the premiums so that none can afford it.

wind damage means they havent lost their home as opposed to a tornado destroying a home to its foundations.

reply to post by neo96


Not so, you can experience straight line winds here which can reach gale force. If these occur during the same time as a tornado rips through your county and the inspectors come to investigate, only if it was within the tornadoes path will some policy holders be eligible. There really should be an extensive thread done on insurance and the cost of disaster.

The article was a good read however and it is not as us against them here on ATS as some of the cheerleaders for FEMA would have you believe. *Spade a Spade*

reply to post by antar


plant some trees thats what they have done for decades

natural wind breaks or start building homes out of concrete instead of sticks.

but no just make the government pay for it which means we have to pay for it.

reply to post by Xcathdra


Wouldn't you be shocked if I actually worked for FEMA!!! Have you never griped or complained about your employers and their short comings?

Now I do not but what if huh? You have a very manipulative way of twisting what I say to serve your appearance. Do me a favor and don't speak for me in the future as your interpretation of what I say is negligent imo.

I am certain we will find common ground in other circles here but as far as disaster goes we are on the opposite side of the page.

reply to post by antar


I have never spoken for you. What I HAVE done is to correct what you say, being its usually wrong and based on your lack of understanding of how FEMA works. That has been my sole argument and issue with you on this topic. If I remeber right you told me you were a nurse in another thread dealing with the same topic.

Please explain to everyone in this thread specifically what your issue with FEMA is and please cite your sources to support your claims.

I asked you to do this in 2 other threads on this topic, and so far you refuse to do it.

Is it because the info you find doesnt support your argument? Is it because you cant find any sources to support your claims?

And absolutely, I am siure we agree on more topics than what we disagree on. I am very passionate in this area though because of its affect on people and perception of how government works. I think this topic brings to light people lack of knowledge about government at all levels and how it works. I think this topic brings to light peoples lack of understanding of their rights and how they work when it comes to a mass disaster. I thinhk it brings tolight peoples paranoia about FEMA and the government, which I firmly beleive is based on paranoia through a lack of understanding and not on sisnister intentions.

Please, explain what your isse with FEMA is, and cite your sources.

reply to post by Xcathdra


Ok, there is no point going further in any form of discussion as this thread has become just another stick in the mud subject for me at this point. I have said "what I have said" and if 'what I have said' is misinterpreted and misaligned, then whats the purpose of me trying to engage in the topic, which does concern me and I am watching over at present as it will eventually affect us all and the way we observe all the events since hurricane Dolly speaks volumes of the direction we are headed for the future.

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Like I said, we will find common ground elsewhere but not on this.

reply to post by antar


Right, so you arent going to give us the reason for your issues with FEMA, nor are you going to support those reasons with verifable sources? You seem to want the ability to just stroll into a thread, dump on FEMA and any person who says you are wrong, without having to explain your side or support it with facts. Then you want to hide behind a mod alert from a different thread, where you did the exact same thing.

This is not grade school.

As far as the mod warning goes, you can use whatever you think is going to shield you from having to answer the basic questions I guess.. If that kind of thing works for you.. In case you missed it though, this thread is about FEMA, its policies, how it operates during disasters etc. So my posts are very much on topic, where as yours direct people to another thread, and you fail to discuss the topic at hand.

Nothing you said has been misalligned, since you have provided us with absolutely NO info, other than your link to aonther thread talking about disease. Your seeing conspiracies in everything now, even my responses.

Its simple though -

Why do you hate FEMA?
Please cite your examples.
Please cite your sources?

Easy enough... Your move.

reply to post by Xcathdra


Show me please where i was so outlandishly out of control to the point you had to speak for me and create a diversion from the issues in this thread, here are my posts up until the one where we engage.

!st to you:

Why on earth did your post receive a boatload of stars? Not to argue a mute point with you but FEMA is there as CONTINUITY of goods and services as priority #1.

Even because you work for them, you can still show some empathy FIRST, and then go through the red tape blabla bla explanation of the burden those pesky survivors tax them out with...

2nd:
Many policies while they cover a tornado, will not cover wind, so with the final word on Joplin having been 200mph 'winds' insurance companies could then go have a nice dinner out and buy their daughter a Lexus.

3rd:
You HAVE to read this thread and tell your friend to seek proper medical help asap!

4th:
Not so, you can experience straight line winds here which can reach gale force. If these occur during the same time as a tornado rips through your county and the inspectors come to investigate, only if it was within the tornadoes path will some policy holders be eligible. There really should be an extensive thread done on insurance and the cost of disaster.

The article was a good read however and it is not as us against them here on ATS as some of the cheerleaders for FEMA would have you believe. *Spade a Spade*

No need to make explanations for you, I have nothing to defend in what I have said towards Fema or anyone looking for information I am familiar with.

reply to post by antar


And nothing that you brought up, winds, insurance or getting medical attention, have anything to do with FEMA.

So AGAIN,

What specifically is your problem with FEMA?
Please cite your sources that support your claims.

This is now the 3rd attept to get you to answer the question that you keep ignoring.

Its simple.. please, answer the quentions.

reply to post by antar


maybe you should get a better homeowners policy. Or actually know what your talking about. most if not all homeowner policies covers wind damage. what they don't cover is floods!

My policy covers EVERYTHING except for floods. All i have to do is pay my deductible and the Insurance picks up the rest of the tab. A few houses in my neighborhood had some shingles pulled from their roofs from the winds in the Joplin tornado and a couple of houses had tree limbs fall on their houses and Guess what Their Insurance Companies are picking up the repair tab minus detuctibles! All the damage in my neighborhood was wind damage and not tornado damage.

now Antar why don't you actually answer Xcath's questions instead of hiding behind a mod warning from another thread? is it because you don't have any proof to back up your claims? or is your hatred for FEMA has blinded you from the truth? or is it something else?

Now for the topic of this thread. FEMA is a support agency and is not meant to make you whole. It provides temporary emergency funds, and temporary living while you rebuild if you qualify. AGAIN IT IS NOT FEMA'S JOB TO MAKE YOU WHOLE AGAIN. It is not suppose to replace everything you lost, that is what insurance is for. IF you have insurance whether it is homeowners, or renters insurance your insurance company has to pay out first. and then FEMA will payout funds IF you qualify!

And while yes FEMA is handing out 30K checks here in Joplin the average payout from FEMA per family is only 6K after a natural disaster. so those that received 30K will have to justify the additional 24K they got.

reply to post by neo96


homeowners Insurance is only required if you have a mortgage on your home still. after it is paid off there IS NO LAW that i know of that says you have to keep Homeowners Insurance on your house.

most mortgages the insurance premium is included in your monthly mortgage payment and the bank pays the insurance on your house so they know there isn't a lapse of coverage on their investment.

reply to post by Mercenary2012


yeah everyone i know has their homes paid off

and that means if they have enough money to pay their homes off they have enough to pay insurance

and if they have enough money to pay their homes off they dont need fema.