Sandy Was No Katrina But Problems Continue

 
2013 Hurricane SeasonYou would think that the government would be prepared to tackle the aftermath of a hurricane after their abysmal failure to do so during the Katrina fiasco, but they are just as inept as they were back then. When Sandy rolled in to the northeast US, Obama promised a hassle-free and streamlined service delivery system that would ensure that resources got to victims as quickly as possible. The word on the street was that states would get help from the federal government simply by picking up the phone and telling them what they need. Unfortunately, despite the best intentions of the White House, Congress went out of their way to prevent assistance from pouring in to the region- and their reasons were political.

 

While people heeded warnings, got out of the area and state officials across the region took a proactive and hands-on approach to prevent another Katrina when Sandy approached, getting federal disaster aid and support has been next to impossible as Congress used this tragedy to try and force their political interests on un-related issues through the legislative process. The reality is that if government can prevent aid from flowing to disaster areas simply because they are playing politics, then people can suffer material, physical as well as economic hardship simply because lawmakers have an agenda they are trying to pursue.
 
This is not good news to hear, especially if your life was turned upside down due to a major disaster. You may already be homeless, jobless, without a vehicle or access to simple things like important documents and family heir looms. You may have spent all of your money on hotels, relocating, medical treatment and new clothes because you lost everything during the storm. In a perfect world, insurance companies and government agencies reimburse victims after a disaster if they qualify, but Sandy has taught us that we may very well be on our own, with no help and with no support if officials simply choose not to authorize the release of funds.
 
Sandy was a big storm in terms of its size, power and impact. It was not as deadly or horrific as Katrina, but agencies were still failing to deliver services to the people that needed help the most, even months after the storm passed. In the event of a catastrophe, or multiple tragedies that occur at one time, do you think the government will respond? If they can’t help their own people after a single storm, imagine what this Congress would do if a more serious event has taken place. This is just one additional example of why we need to be prepared to fend for ourselves if disaster strikes. There is no way that we can count on government to help, and how they behaved during Sandy is just proof that they can care less about the needs of victims.
 
Planning for survival means taking in to account what you will need during and after an emergency. You should have resources on hand that will carry you through the rough period between when the disaster passes and help becomes available. However, Sandy has taught us that it may be a very long time indeed before that help arrives. Counting on relief services is not possible anymore, and you may need to live in a state of limbo for quite some time. Power may not be restored for weeks, cleanup efforts may take years and there is a good chance that you may have to relocate with little more than the shirt on your back, with little help coming from relief agencies.
 
This is the new age of disaster management, and this is something that we all need to prepare for and get used to because there are no signs that the government will change their tune anytime soon. We truly are on our own, and you need to be prepared and ready to live a totally different life if you are impacted by a large disaster. Your focus will be on surviving instead of rebuilding, on making ends meet and protecting your interests more than waiting for a relief check to come in the mail.
 
The government did make emergency services more available after Sandy, especially when compared to Katrina, but they failed miserably when offering supportive services. This is something that every victim should consider when planning for disaster simply because now we know that the official government response to a crisis is to do nothing. Make friends, develop support networks and make sure that you are ready to start over after a disaster with little or no help from anyone other than those who care about you and your family. Our government is useless, and the only way to survive after a disaster is to be prepared and ready to fend for yourself.

 

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