Hurricane Helene... death toll rises to 52... now 103...

[MountaineerWV]

View embedded media

“I see again the forest fires are starting,” he said at a rally in swing-state Pennsylvania. “They’re starting again in California. I said, you gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests — there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and they’re like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up.”

“Maybe we’re just going to have to make them pay for it because they don’t listen to us,” he added.

 

[WVU82]

500 is NOT ENOUGH...

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[MountaineerWV]

View embedded media

Answer: Because it's an election year.

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[MountaineerWV]

View embedded media

Again, stop posting false propaganda. You are making me sound like a Biden-Harris supporter by constantly pointing out your false information. And I don't like that........

Approved Emergency Declarations Before Landfall

• Before Helene made landfall, the Governors of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina submitted emergency declaration requests that President Biden swiftly approved. These declarations authorized FEMA to provide assistance for emergency measures to save lives, protect property, public health and safety, and fund other emergency response measures. The Federal government proactively pre-positioned personnel and resources across the region before Hurricane Helene made landfall, including power restoration teams for temporary emergency power, search and rescue equipment, meals, water, generators, and equipment to assist communities and states with impacts from the storm.
• The Administration, through the Department of Health and Human Services, declared a Public Health Emergency for the states of Florida and Georgia. This gives the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

Supporting Ongoing Emergency Response Efforts

• At the President’s direction, before Helene made landfall, 1,500 Federal personnel were deployed to the region.
• Urban Search and Rescue has deployed a total of 14 teams (940 personnel) to affected states. In Florida, eight teams are positioned to respond, and all are equipped with Swift Water Rescue Capabilities. In Georgia, two teams with water capability have been deployed to support rescue operations. In North Carolina, four teams all equipped with Swift Water Rescue Capabilities are in place.
• The U.S. Coast Guard crews will continue to respond with vessels and aircraft to assist search and rescue activities. Approximately 8,000 personnel are working on the Coast Guard response. They will continue to respond to urgent distress calls to save lives and assist those impacted by the storm.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has two teams prepositioned to provide temporary emergency power, with additional personnel deployed and other are prepared to deploy if needed. In addition to temporary emergency power, personnel will assist the states with infrastructure assessments, debris management and temporary roofing assistance as needed. They have activated six emergency operation centers in the region to coordinate operations.
• The Department of Health and Human Services deployed two Health and Medical Task Forces to assist hospitals and other critical care facilities with any impacts as a result of the storm.
• FEMA’s Surge Capacity Force is activated, which enables the deployment of additional disaster staff within the Department of Homeland Security and across the Federal interagency to assist in the areas impacted by the hurricane.
• The Federal government pre-staged more than 2.7 million meals, 1.6 million liters of water, 50,000 tarps, 10,000 cots, and 20,000 blankets in the region to support sheltering needs in impacted communities.
• FEMA pre-positioned tanker trucks with 70,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 40,000 gallons of gasoline to surge to impacted communities once the storm has passed to help alleviate any fuel shortages.
• Prior to the storm, FEMA also helped source hundreds of ambulances to assist with the movement of any patients out of impacted hospitals or other facilities.

Supporting Communities and Infrastructure Following the Storm’s Impact

• The Department of Energy’s Energy Response Organization is activated and closely monitoring impacts and restoration efforts related to Helene, including power, fuel, and supply chain interruptions. Via the Electricity Sub-Sector Coordinating Council, the Department also works continuously with electric utilities across the country to strengthen post-storm power restoration efforts.
• The Environmental Protection Agency is working closely with Federal, state, local, and Tribal partners to help protect water systems, prepare for debris management, and ensure facilities, including Superfund sites, maintain critical public health and environmental protections. EPA stands ready to mobilize additional staff after the storm passes and as clean up and recovery efforts begin.
• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made information available from the HHS emPOWER program, a partnership between the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to support public health emergency planning and response activities. The program provides valuable information on the number of Medicare beneficiaries who rely on electricity-dependent durable medical equipment and certain health care services, such as dialysis, oxygen tanks, or home health care, to help anticipate, plan for, and respond to the needs of at-risk residents in areas impacted by the storm.
• The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) notified Public Housing Authorities, multifamily, and healthcare facility owners to implement all appropriate protocols to prepare for the storm and ensure the safety of their residents. HUD is and will continue to work with the Public Housing Authorities, multifamily, and healthcare owners and homelessness assistance partners to determine damage impact and resident displacement. HUD will also be developing vacancy lists of HUD-assisted projects that can be used to provide temporary and/or permanent housing to disaster survivors.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service approved Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ request to provide operational flexibilities in all of the state’s school lunch programs – which will enhance flexibilities for meal service during unanticipated school closures.
• The Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aerial teams are being deployed to provide valuable observations of impacted communities to understand the scope of the storm damage and to support disaster response by Federal partners. To ensure navigational safety, NOAA experts work around-the-clock after a storm acquiring and processing data to speed the reopening of ports and waterways by verifying water depth and identifying dangers to navigation.
• Additional personnel from the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and Department of Health and Human Services are deployed to assist with response and recovery efforts.

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[MountaineerWV]

View embedded media

Are these private owned or GOVERNMENT-owned utility companies from Canada?

 

[MountaineerWV]

Quebec - Government owned
New Brunswick - Government owned


So......I guess you like the idea of government-owned utilities in a socialist system?

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[MountaineerWV]

View embedded media

.....but yeah, Twitter clickbait is always accurate.

At the direction of President Biden, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is on the ground in Georgia today and will be in North Carolina tomorrow to survey damage and assessing the need for federal resources.

FEMA has more than 800 deployed staff supporting states affected by the hurricane. Our distribution centers are fully stocked and ready to provide commodities and equipment to any impacted state as requested. FEMA is coordinating a federal force of more than 3,200 personnel each contributing their expertise and manpower to this mission.

Emergency declarations are still in effect for Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Under an emergency declaration, FEMA can provide support for urgent disaster response activities. FEMA and state partners continue to assess affects from the hurricane in these states to determine if further federal assistance is needed. Visit FEMA.gov to learn how a disaster gets declared.

• Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas activated the Surge Capacity Force (SCF). The SCF makes rostered federal employees available to support FEMA’s response and recovery missions.
• Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) deployed a total of 24 teams with more than 1,302 personnel to affected states. All teams are equipped with Swift Water Rescue Capabilities. In Florida, eight US&R teams are actively responding. Four team are in North Carolina, two are in Tennessee. Additional teams and four Swift Water Mission Ready Packages are in route to the impacted areas.
• U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Crews saved or assisted 11 lives and four pets in the Hurricane Helene response to date. USCG units in the affected areas are ready to support search and rescue, conducting post-storm assessments and providing interagency support. More than 8,000 personnel are assisting in response efforts.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has teams positioned to provide temporary emergency power, with others prepared to deploy if needed. In addition to temporary emergency power, personnel assist the states with assessments of critical infrastructure including water/wastewater treatment facilities, debris management, and road and bridge inspections as needed. USACE is also providing technical expertise for flood responses. They have activated eight emergency operation centers in the affected regions to coordinate operations.
• Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) declared Public Health Emergencies for Florida and Georgia to address the health impacts of Hurricane Helene. The declarations give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of their beneficiaries. HHS staff are assessing public health and health care infrastructure. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response medical responders are in Alabama, Florida and North Carolina to help secure heal care services. These personnel include Health Care Situational Assessment teams and National Disaster Medical System Disaster Medical Assistance Teams along with several tons of medical equipment and supplies to provide medical surge support. A Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team Subject Matter Expert activated for North Carolina. HHS is offering free crisis counseling through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Distress Helpline. Call or text 1-800-985-5990. Español: Llama o envía un mensaje de texto 1-800-985-5990 presiona “2.” For Deaf and Hard of Hearing ASL Callers: To connect directly to an agent in American Sign Language, click the "ASL Now" button below or call 1-800-985-5990 from your videophone. ASL Support is available 24/7. FAQs for ASL NOW users.
• Department of Energy (DOE) activated the Energy Response Organization (ERO) and is closely monitoring impacts and restoration efforts related to Helene, including power, fuel, and supply chain interruptions. The ERO and field responders are in contact with industry partners and local officials. DOE responders deployed to the Florida Emergency Operations Center, Georgia Emergency Operations Center, and the North Carolina Emergency Operations Center.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working closely with federal, state, local and Tribal partners to help water systems, prepare for debris management and ensure facilities, including Superfund sites, maintain critical public health and environmental protections. The agency has personnel on the ground in regional and national operations centers who are offering technical assistance and guidance to those affected by Helene.
• American Red Cross (ARC) has more than 745 Red Cross responders deployed to affected areas with another 320 responders in route. As of Sunday morning, systems reporting indicates 2,033 people are still in 73 shelters. As anticipated, ARC is seeing this count rise as they continue to gain connectivity and more clarity about the evolving need in the Carolinas. More than 45 Emergency Response Vehicles are supporting this event and two dozen additional vehicles are moving into position throughout affected areas. Anyone who needs a safe place to go can find information on redcross.org or by texting GETEMERGENCY to 90999 to download the free Red Cross Emergency app.
• Salvation Army is increasing its services in response to community needs. In Florida, they are providing meals through 17 mobile feeding units: five in Live Oak and 12 in Perry, where they are serving hot meals. Teams are also assisting survivors and responders along Florida’s west coast, delivering cleanup kits, blankets, and meals. In Georgia, The Salvation Army is serving meals at six shelters and will begin operations in Douglas/Alma and Vidalia on Sunday through mobile feeding units. In South Carolina, they are supporting meal service at the Greenwood County shelter and have activated a mobile unit. In Tennessee, Salvation Army is working alongside Baptist Kitchen, serving meals at two state shelters. Two mobile units are in Johnson City and Newport will start meal service beginning Monday. Full details and service locations are available at disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]

 

[WVU82]