George musta gotten advice from poppy.. (Andrew response)

[SoCalDem]

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/08/17/Weather/Unlike_Andrew__aid_s_.shtml
snip....

In 1992, the anger in Miami could be seen in a spray-painted sign that greeted the president: "Help us President Bush. Want reelection? Send more help+materials. We need them. Thank you!"
The president was not solely at fault for the post-Andrew difficulties. Then-Gov. Lawton Chiles shared some of the blame. The Democratic governor did not formally request federal assistance until three days after Andrew hit. He later said he incorrectly assumed that FEMA's response would be sufficient to trigger help from all federal agencies. The federal response to Andrew was poorly planned and chaotic. FEMA had spent years preparing for a Cold War nuclear apocalypse, but it seemed unprepared for Mother Nature.

"WE NEED HELP," a front-page Miami Herald headline screamed four days after Andrew hit.

The effort was tangled up in red tape. Some FEMA officials wanted to move truckloads of supplies to Florida ahead of time so it would be closer to victims. But FEMA's lawyers said the agency could not move supplies until after an official disaster declaration. Similar problems hobbled the federal removal of storm debris and delayed federal troops from being deployed to Dade County, snarling the ability of states to help each other. When Andrew hit, there was no standardized way for states to share resources.

"It ended up being a midnight phone call between governors," said Amy Hughes, a policy analyst for the National Emergency Management Association, which represents state emergency response agencies. "A lot of legal things had to be done in the middle of the night."After Andrew, 48 states and Congress approved an agreement making it easier for the states to offer mutual aid. That agreement, which was first sought by Chiles, made it possible for three emergency management specialists from Kentucky to arrive at the Tallahassee command center last week before Charley hit.The agreement also made it easier for Alabama, Texas, Mississippi and Georgia to quickly send National Guard helicopters to Florida after the hurricane cut through Florida's midsection.

After Andrew, FEMA director James Lee Witt overhauled the bureaucracy and improved communications with the states. Witt established centers around the country to store water and disaster supplies, and he made agreements with other federal agencies so supplies and personnel could be sent before a storm.


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