It’s an ongoing disaster in North Carolina and also Georgia, and I’m reading varying reports on rescue efforts. It seems fairly clear that preparedness was lacking although it was known that the storm would be pretty bad in North Carolina, but I doubt anyone realized just how bad. There is no question in my mind that, had Trump been president, he would be blamed. But there’s a Democratic president, of whom nothing is expected anymore.
Quite a few tweets of this sort are being featured on Instapundit:
?NEW – Federal Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has shut down aid flights into Western North Carolina.
A NOTAM has been issued by the FAA that won’t allow anyone not approved by the state to fly aid missions. They said they would give permission but they’re not being…
— Dr. Ben Braddock (@GraduatedBen) October 3, 2024
What’s going on? What’s the usual procedure for Good Samaritan aid efforts in a case like this?
And then there’s this:
In less than two years, FEMA has dropped more than a billion dollars on non-resident services, and now American citizens who are dealing with the effects of a natural disaster cannot be properly remedied. Harken back to the time George Bush was excoriated for the response in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The failures of this administration, after displaying layers of incompetence, are barely touched on by the media, and now the very agency designed to aid in disaster relief is broke due to placing its focus and funds elsewhere.
Georgia’s Governor Kemp has complained that FEMA’s response is inadequate, with the initial order including only 11 countries although about 90 were hit hard. The White House responded by adding 30 more to the original 11.
ADDENDUM: It’s being reported that Kamala Harris skipped her hurricane preparedness briefings. Doesn’t surprise me.