South Florida residents scavenge for water, food, gas

[chat_noir]

In Florida, apparently they scavenge, not loot. :eyes:

Across the region, people went into scavenger-mode, descending on those few sources of water, food and gas they could find.

snip


In Miami, Julio Sanchez stood on the side of the street watching a scene in disbelief - a crowd arguing in front of the Orange Bowl, one of 11 distribution sites in Miami-Dade, where many waited in line hours for ice and water.

"This is incredible. I just cannot believe it," said Sanchez, 47. "I've seen this before. Miami officials said they are prepared, but they are not. Everything is a lie. We got all this technology. We've gone to the moon, but they (officials) cannot have their little act together."

At 11 a.m., Bush, along with local and federal officials, gathered at the Miami-Dade Emergency Operations Center where they urged residents to be patient as the relief effort continues.

"Tomorrow is going to be a better than today," Bush said. "My heart goes out to people who lost a lot, but rest assure that the federal and state government will help."

His brother, President Bush, plans to travel to Florida on Thursday.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/nation/12995576.htm


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[egadsbrain]

1. Hungry in Immokalee

Little food immediately available for residents of hard-hit Immokalee

Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Immokalee residents were some of the hardest hit, least protected and most badly in need of food Tuesday after Hurricane Wilma knocked their already precarious lives down another rung.
The storm's 125 mph winds severely damaged the vegetable and citrus crops and the loss of power shut down the packing plants indefinitely, leaving the workers who live hand-to-mouth without food or money.

snip

Some of the workers wandered the streets Tuesday after leaving the Red Cross shelter at Immokalee High, where some food was available, but not enough to feed the masses. Others walked to the State Farmers Market where hundreds of full-time residents lined up in their vehicles to pick up the rationed water and ice that the Florida National Guard was handing out.
But there was no food at the distribution center for any of the nearly 40,000 people. Almost all stores were closed, and power was out across the community. Wilma snapped power and tossed semitruck cargo beds, some filled with vegetables, across farm fields.


full story...
http://stormedition.naplesnews.com/news/2005/oct/26/no_food_available_residents_hardhit_immokalee/

[egadsbrain]

2. and in East Naples...

East Naples aid station receives only water in late aid shipment

Tom and Misty George's 11-month-old son was listless in his mother's arms.
Dakota was dehydrated. With his head lulled back as if his neck was putty, the towheaded boy barely moved.
But the bigger concern for his parents, who fled from East Naples to Misty's parents' home in Golden Gate once Hurricane Wilma hit, was ice. Dakota is diabetic. An insulin injection requires ice.

They had pulled up at Beall's department store on U.S. 41 East around 10 a.m. Tuesday after radio and television reports said federal officials would bring food, water and ice at noon. The Georges and about 1,000 other people waited. Then they waited some more.

snip

Second Lt. Rickey Fitzgerald, who led the U.S. Army National Guard unit that offloaded the truck and set up traffic in two lines so his soldiers could quickly distribute the water, said he didn't know where the ice and food were. And he couldn't confirm that the shipment arrived late.
"Maybe there was a miscommunication with the advertising. I don't know," Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald said the supplies came from the Emergency Operations Center, not through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But county officials said the assistance was supposed to come from state and federal governments and was to be distributed at eight stations throughout Collier County.
"The material did not arrive at noon as promised," Collier Emergency Management Director Dan Summers said. "I'm very disappointed in this. But Collier County met its requirements."
The county dispatched water and ice to stations at Barron Collier High School in North Naples and the Farmers Market in Immokalee. Summers was unsure why only some water and ice arrived.


full story...
http://stormedition.naplesnews.com/news/2005/oct/26/east_naples_aid_station_receives_only_water_late_a/

[meow2u3]

3. That's because the "scavengers" are rich, white Repukes

If they were poor and/or black, they'd be called "looters" and Bush would order them shot on sight. Racists sons of bitches!

[tanyev]

4. But..but..Jebbie was just saying everything was under control

Bush said Florida relies on local emergency managers, rather than waiting for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to leap into action. FEMA and the governor's brother, President Bush, have been sharply criticized for the federal government's disorganized response to Katrina.

"In the case of Louisiana, it was left to the federal government to fill a void, and the consequences are there for the rest of the world to see," Bush said.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5171716