FEMA has kept a lower profile in Camp fire than after hurricanes. Here's the reason
WASHINGTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has directed far fewer resources to helping California cope with the devastating Camp fire than it typically sends to states dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane, or other natural disasters. But experts say that's by design, as California's robust disaster response planning and operations make the feds less necessary in the early stages of fighting a disaster.
FEMA, which is tasked with coordinating federal agencies in responding to a disaster, has so far issued fewer than 25 task orders to federal agencies for an estimated $1.5 million worth of assistance since the California wildfires were declared a major disaster on November 12, according to FEMA's database of daily mission assignments.
That's a far cry from the more than 140 orders FEMA issued in the first five days after Hurricane Florence was declared a major disaster on Sept. 14, which collectively were estimated to cost more than $200 million.
The Camp fire has so far claimed more than 81 lives and destroyed more than 13,500 homes and nearly 5,000 other structures, forcing those displaced to seek shelter in makeshift sleeping arrangements, such as the so-called Wallyworld camp in a Walmart parking lot in Chico. Experts estimate the fire could ultimately cause more than $7 billion in damages.
By contrast, Hurricane Florence, which flooded large swaths of North and South Carolina, has ultimately claimed more than 50 lives, and wreaked more than $20 billion worth of damage. Experts say that differential response is in part because the immediate response to a hurricane - with pre-positioned food and water and search and rescue teams deployed to help find survivors - is more predictable than for a fast-moving wildfire.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fema-has-kept-a-lower-profile-in-camp-fire-than-after-hurricanes-heres-the-reason/ar-BBQ1tmh?li=BBnbfcL
So money's more important than lives?
= new reply since forum marked as read
