... and official "organization" of the effort appears to be even more shambolic. Just read this account for one example.
Over the weekend, Seidhom began flying his helicopter over parts of North Carolina to help rescue survivors stuck in their homes or outside collapsed structures.
He also shared photos of the damage from the storm.
But on Sunday, Seidhom shared that he was “instructed to suspend operations” by an assistant fire chief from a local fire department, who cautioned Seidhom that he could be arrested for flying his helicopter in North Carolina.
Seidhom said when he was told to stop helping, he had been extracting a woman who was stuck on a collapsed mountainside.
“When she was brought to safety I was instructed that if I returned to get either person the husband or my copilot I would be arrested,” Seidhom posted on Facebook. “I’m not sure how he was trained but I don’t leave a fellow man behind… [The Fire Department needs] help and they are turning us away.”
Seidhom’s post about being threatened with arrest went viral, receiving over 500 comments at time of publication. Many rallied around him and shared messages in support.
“This is insane for them to refuse your help to save those desperate people,” a Facebook user wrote.
“This is wrong on so many levels,” another person commented. “Jordan keep up the good work. You are doing what needs to be done.”
“They are going to put you in a flooded jail with no power? That is so silly!” another Facebook user said. “I can’t believe they are doing that to you! They need more people like you trying to help get them out.”
Commenters also said they planned to report the employee for his actions.
Seidhom said the county then put a Temporary Flight Restriction in place, preventing helicopter rescues in the air.
However, Seidhom later noted the county lifted the restriction, allowing private citizens to fly again.
Seidhom is now continuing his rescue missions in areas where first responders have been receptive and appreciative of his help. He also posted that he’s working with the Carolina Emergency Response Team, a volunteer group “with special skills” that aids in emergency disaster relief.
“Over 1300 requests for service and only approximately 13 helicopters flying rescue missions. Multiple volunteer pilots from all over working together,” Seidhom posted on Facebook yesterday. “Grateful for Carolina Emergency Response Team that pulled together a command post in less than 24 hours for everyone to work out of.”
There's more at the link.
I can understand one or two screw-ups like that, but they appear to be so widespread that they're affecting everybody. Try these headlines for size. I can't vouch that they're all true (I presume some will be at least exaggerated, if not false), but there are enough of them to suggest a pattern.
I could have cited many more such headlines, but those will be enough for now. Some of them remind me of my experiences helping to coordinate rescue and recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, about which I've written extensively. The same difficulties with the authorities cropped up there, as those of you who've read my account will recall. In fact, reading current reports, it's hard not to get a sense of "deja vu all over again", as Yogi Berra famously put it.
I hope all these horror stories will help those who haven't made any preparations for emergencies to begin doing so right away; and for those of us who have to re-examine our preparations, and improve them where we can. Disasters like this happen every year, to a greater or lesser extent, and there's no telling when we might be in their path. Better to be prepared than to be waiting for relief that may not arrive in time to save us.
Peter
12 comments:
We had a staff meeting on Monday, and I concluded by mentioning the (then) looming longshoreman strike. Only one person in the room was even aware that it was about to happen. None of my other coworkers had any idea, nor did they know what items might be cut off. I love these people, but it is hard to protect people when they don't even know there is a threat. It is like being in a burning building and everyone around is saying "Fire? What fire? Does this building have exits? Where are they?"
The only problem with making preps, is that in some cases, like this, entire houses and properties are destroyed - and all your preps with it. Some people may have caches, or secondary sites with supplies, but you may not be able to get to your cache. Prep plans in places of devastation need to make plans for that scenario too.
Southern NH
To get the $750 FEMA money it must be applied for on-line through a very difficult to use web page.
Take the objector with you on the next flight, with the option to be let out halfway (at altitude), or left on the site of the rescue (a swap). Or just shoot the bastard in the head on the pad and save fuel. If that had been done sooner, it would have also saved a lot of oxygen. This is how our meekness and forebearance is used against us....they constantly declare their enmity, but it is only in a crisis where their full evil is manifest, and also exterminated. Presumably they feel the same way, and cause crisis just for this purpose.
e of the 2 certified 501c3 chairities working in Tenn. that Is authorized by the State is GrindstoneMinistries.com, they are working out of a FOB at 104CherryGrove Rd. In Jonesburo, Tenn. Contact the website to get info on help needed, they were sling-loading supplies into areas that are cut off by damaged bridges and roads. There are going to be over a thousand dead before this is over, they are recovering bodies from 50 ft. Up in the trees....prayers as well as aid are needed, badly. And we know the Regime ain't worth spot, having spent FEMA funds on their precious future Democrats that there's no funds left to help Americans...
As I said on X, That fire chief who threatened the pilot with arrest should be dropped off and stranded on the mountain with his citizens and explain to them why they shouldn't be rescued.
I'm sure they'll understand.
Ronald Reagan said it best, “The most scary words are I am from the federal government and here to help you”.
Is anyone else seeing reports from locals claiming that FEMA is doing great, that the evil Republicans are politicizing the situation? From other sources, I tend to be skeptical about FEMA performing well.
I was in Gulfport for Katrina. I think Helene is worse. Before Katrina, Camille was the storm against which all others were measured around here. It would have been difficult to imagine a storm as destructive as those, but not impossible, it's the Gulf Coast and hurricanes come here. I don't know how anyone in western north Carolina or northern Georgia or eastern Tennessee could have imagined that this could even happen. Here we can run inland, these people were inland, where would they go that would offer putatively better protection than where they already were? We were fortunate to receive a lot of help rebuilding on the Mississippi coast. I hope all those storm survivors get the help they need.
rick m
The air wing of the Unified Cajun Navy is offering free swamp tours in case they encounter any serious friction.
Someone posted above about Reagan's quote “The most scary words are I am from the federal government and here to help you”.
Though true it is underselling the problem. The more accurate statement would be "I'm from the government and here to help"
Though the federal government is bad we interact with our local governments 10x as much. During COVID the majority of the abuses were conducted by state and local governments. Most of what the federal gov did was make suggestions and state and local governments instead of telling the feds to pound sand, even escalated the level of crackdown.
The example above that everyone is all upset about was a local fire chief throwing his weight around. Fair to say the feds doing no fly zones for civilians was also bad.
people in authority more often than not abuse that authority.
I have in my life met a few who didn't . Over almost 60 years, being able to say that leaves me deeply saddened.
The fire official who issued that jackassical "Respect Mah Authoritah!" order should be named, publicly doxxed, put in a pillory, and subject to rotten fruit pelting for 7 days.
then fired for cause, drummed out of the department, and marched to the county line and told to leave and never return "for health reasons". I.e. someone's cruising for a lead pipe counselling session with the community.
What a maroon.
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