Chastened FEMA Sends Force to Hawaii

[NVMojo]

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) - The earthquake that jolted the Hawaiian Islands over the weekend set off one of the biggest FEMA deployments since Hurricane Katrina, including a planeload of about 100 federal experts who arrived here to find no catastrophe.

Nearly 14 months after the devastating hurricane, "forward-leaning" is the buzzword at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which was harshly criticized for its flat-footed response to Katrina.

"If Katrina's done anything, it's given us a sense of `Go!'" said Jeffrey D. Lusk, an earthquake specialist who led damage assessments along the northwestern coast of the island of Hawaii, known as the Big Island. "Err on the side of too much, too early, instead of not enough."

Lusk's team - accompanied by an Associated Press reporter - found little damage here from Sunday's 6.7-magnitude quake. At a hospital near Kona, ceiling tiles fell onto surgical tables and water leaked from an overhead pipe, forcing the patients out. At Kawaihae Harbor, damage to piers shut the facility down and cut off the west side of the island to incoming goods through Tuesday afternoon.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2006/oct/18/101806039.html

[kcass1954]

1. Let me see if I've got this straight -

The earthquake is on Sunday. FEMA shows up on Wednesday, only to find out that they're not needed. Yessirree, right on schedule!

Here's my favorite part -

FEMA officials rejected the notion that the response was an overreaction by a chastened agency.

"When you look at what happened in New Orleans, I don't think you can put too much energy, resources - too much anything - into preventing that kind of catastrophe," said Kim Walz, spokeswoman for the FEMA region that includes Hawaii.

"Everyone who works at FEMA would rather be overprepared that underprepared," she said. "Personally, I think the American people would rather us be overprepared, too."


I think my head's going to explode! :banghead:

[prole_for_peace]

2. fema finally goes to hawaii but they are there about pearl harbor.

that's what one of my co-workers had to say about it yesterday

[MadMaddie]

6. That's Rich..and close to accurate...

[C_U_L8R]

3. Are they just finding out about this now???

what is wrong with these clowns??

[rodeodance]

4. all decked out and no place to go. my my-this IS funny.

[rodeodance]

5. wonder how much this non crisis cost?????

[aquart]

9. Bet they got in some swimming.

[bigworld]

7. free trip?

Yeah, it's not like they could ask the Hawaiians if they were needed or anything.

Methinks a bunch of FEMA employees saw a free trip to Hawaii in the cards and took advantage of it.

[Art_from_Ark]

8. Methinks you may be right