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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsStill Waiting for FEMA in Texas and Florida After Hurricanes
HOUSTON Outside Rachel Robertss house, a skeleton sits on a chair next to the driveway, a skeleton child on its lap, an empty cup in its hand and a sign at its feet that reads Waiting on FEMA.
It is a Halloween reminder that, for many, getting help to recover from Hurricane Harvey remains a long, uncertain journey.
Its very frustrating, said Ms. Roberts, 44, who put together the display after waiting three weeks for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to send someone to look at her flood-damaged home in southwest Houston. I think its beautiful how much weve all come together, and thats wonderful, but I think theres a lot of mess-ups, too.
Outside the White House this month, President Trump boasted about the federal relief efforts. In Texas and in Florida, we get an A-plus, he said. FEMA officials say that they are successfully dealing with enormous challenges posed by an onslaught of closely spaced disasters, unlike anything the agency has seen in years. But on the ground, flooded residents and local officials have a far more critical view.
According to interviews with dozens of storm victims, one of the busiest hurricane seasons in years has overwhelmed federal disaster officials. As a result, the governments response in the two biggest affected states Texas and Florida has been scattershot: effective in dealing with immediate needs, but unreliable and at times inadequate in handling the aftermath, as thousands of people face unusually long delays in getting basic disaster assistance.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/22/us/fema-texas-florida-delays-.html
Midnight Writer
(21,765 posts)DAMANgoldberg
(1,278 posts)<iframe width="640" height="360" src="
" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>tavernier
(12,388 posts)They have emailed me to tell me that the area in which I live is presently inaccessible, so they are unable to assess my needs.
First of all, no worries here for me because I am staying with my family close by and have everything I need, and my battered house and car (which drowned) are covered by insurance. I just registered with FEMA because I lost quite a bit on my property that wasnt covered (shed, freezer, frig, tools), and since my husband passed in May, I have one SS income and could use some monetary assistance if possible to replace some of the loss.
However, there are many here in far worse straits having lost everything. It is very disorienting to look around and see nothing that you own or recognize, and then to hear someone say, just go on your computer and register with FEMA.
Really?