Harvey

spiderweb

spiderweb

Final Approach
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Feb 22, 2005
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Ben
Is anyone here helping, and how? Watching the news these past few days I am reminded of my years in Texas, and how everyone helps one another there.
 
spiderweb said:
Is anyone here helping, and how? Watching the news these past few days I am reminded of my years in Texas, and how everyone helps one another there.
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Only money so far. Through a reputable relief agency we know will put as many dollars to work and not eat them in overhead as possible. It wasn't much, but it was something.

I can make time to go by road or airplane but no plans yet to travel. From my FEMA ICS training, the last thing they need is unsolicited "help" not coordinated through appropriate channels while they're still in the middle of rescue operations.

Self-deploy as they call it, is not good, when it comes to certain types of resources. You can get people there who then have no place to stay and make resupply harder than it should be for basics, like food and water.

Cleanup, inspection, and rebuild will start in earnest when the water recedes, and that's barely started. That takes the most man-hours too.

There's going to be reconstruction going on literally for years. Imagine just the flood of building permits and inspections that will need to be done for public building reoccupancy... let alone private homes. Even for repairs.

And the vultures and scam artists are certainly already in their vans headed that way, along with an army of insurance adjusters.

I probably should check with friends in the cellular biz too. They're likely to have been sent by their companies. The only guy I knew who was an electrical lineman retired.
 
Wife and I are talking about donating a 5th wheel trailer we have if temp housing is needed in the coming weeks. We'd drive it down there. What we don't know yet is through what agency we would coordinate it.
 
Although many have said,"don't show up to volunteer - you'll be in the way", that's exactly what many have done and it's been appreciated (if you have some experience specialty). My nephew guides hunts in the winter in south Texas and fishing expeditions off of S. Padre in the summer. The guides from his area (Brownsville) checked in and were asked to bring their flat bottom and air boats upto the Katy area. They left yesterday with 4 boats and two 32 foot trailers maxed out with donated supplies from Brownsville, Harlingen and McAllen. The Rockport manager and chamber of commerce were requesting 300 pairs of new white socks and gloves for their rescue crews (not sure if that was filled). Fuel has been a nightmare for the boat operators ... one of the areas got refueled by one of the government agencies providing relief, but have not returned.
 
Our neighbor is providing their house while they are gone for evacuees from Houston. Our other neighbors are down at their destroyed beach house assessing it with their insurers. They have no internet and I'm helping by giving them contractor information and looking out for their house here. That's all I can do right now.
 
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