FEMA misrepresented weather data used to justify Miami-Dade aid, scientist

[Judi Lynn]

FEMA misrepresented weather data used to justify Miami-Dade aid, scientists say

By Megan O'Matz, Sally Kestin
and John Maines Staff Writers
Posted January 14 2005

The Federal Emergency Management Agency misrepresented weather data it used this week to justify $30 million in disaster assistance paid to Miami-Dade County residents, according to the government scientists scientists who developed the information told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel..

In a phone conference with reporters Monday, FEMA officials said they had found no evidence of widespread fraud in Miami-Dade and were confident in the legitimacy of the Hurricane Frances claims. As proof, FEMA cited wind speeds of up to 85 mph "in the parts of Miami-Dade County that received our assistance," according to a statement from Daniel Craig, recovery division director.

FEMA backed up its statement by releasinged a wind map of the Labor Day storm, citing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Research Center as its source.

But NOAA spokeswoman Donna McCaskill told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "We didn't make this map. ,'' NOAA spokeswoman Donna McCaskill said, however. "It looks like some of data might have been misrepresented in it."

NOAA atmospheric scientist Mark Powell said he knew of no sustained winds in Miami-Dade as high as FEMA claimed. "I don't know what they did with our data," he said. higher than 55 miles per hour. NOAA only keeps data on sustained winds, which last at least one minute.
(snip/...)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-fema14jan14,0,2780465.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

[Cooley Hurd]

1. "...found no evidence of widespread fraud in Miami-Dade..."

Who has the polygraph concession in Dade County? They sure aren't marketing their product well enough...

[donsu]

9. Miami-Dade is a model for fraud - it's an art form in S. Fl.

nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. FEMA is Cheney's baby. Before 9/11, Cheney was in the process

of making FEMA the central organization to handle major crisis like 9/11.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Presenting falsified evidence is FRAUD

The hurricanes didn't go near Miami.

I'd like a list of the people who got these payments. I wonder how many of them are friends of Jeb and Columbia?

[Scurrilous]

4. I live in Miami-Dade...

...hurricane damage here was minimal. How the residents of Miami-Dade County qualified for $30 million in disaster aid when there was no disaster is beyond me. All I can think of is that some people in this county are experienced (thanks to hurricane Andrew) in filing claims. They know how to work the system and they cashed in big time.

[nono]

5. In No. Florida

I know several people who lost their homes, and some with a lot of damage who have not gotten a dime yet.

[jus_the_facts]

6. Victims of Tornado Damage Still Waiting on FEMA........

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1105082040218290.xml&storylist=louisiana

Victims of Tornado Damage Still Waiting on FEMA


http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1105082040218290.xml&storylist=louisiana

Jones said about half the 300 or so damaged or destroyed houses were uninsured.

"But of the people who were insured, most of them were not fully insured," Jones said.

Input from the state will also be added to the appeal. Jones said the state has spent roughly $2 million on the cleanup and recovery efforts, including assistance from the Louisiana National Guard, the Department of Transportation and Development, and the Department of Health and Hospitals.

Jones said low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration would not be feasible for many of the affected residents in Louisiana because they cannot live in their homes and are budgeting for rental homes in addition to repairs.

The Gov.'s office is in the process of drafting a letter to FEMA

.....the high school was completely destroyed too and they're having to hold classes in and old abandoned cotten gin... :puke:

[NNN0LHI]

7. Someone made some big bucks off of this scam

I was reading yesterday about the millions of dollars collected by people who lived more than a hundred miles from any bad weather. And the rich get richer. Must be nice.

Don

[MaineDem]

8. And "someone" got votes from these people a few months ago

There can't possibly be a connection there, can there?