Should Obama have spoken out about Ice Storms in MidWest?

[KoKo]

Or, was it his duty to wait the three days that "Fema Rules" mandate before they can come in and assess the situation.

After 8 Years of Bush silence on every disaster except in Florida where he spoke out to help Govenor (Brother Jeb) Bush ...it seems there was always SILENCE until the PEOPLE in disaster areas cried out for help.

I was hoping Obama would express his sympathy with those in Kentucky Arkasas and elsewhere who are without power huddled around wood fires or in shelters..telling them that FEMA is coming and they need to have hope that "Help is on the Way!"

Maybe I missed where he has spoken out...but Google didn't turn up anything in a search.

I don't know if it's better for him to be quiet and let the Governors and Mayors deal with it...or to be pro-active. Maybe there are both Pluses and Minuses to both. :shrug:

[AnnieBW]

1. Does Obama have a FEMA director yet?

It may be that they're just getting things together over there.

[Skittles]

2. yes, but perhaps he was busy confronting the magnitude of the mess

:o

[YanquiUXO]

3. Are you honestly comparing these ice storms to Katrina?

[KoKo]

7. If you read my whole post....I said, "I think there are plusses and minuses to both."

But, it kind of bothered me he hasn't said anything to the people suffering in those areas..

[Lagomorph]

14. If people are suffering or dying, then...

I don't see how it's possible to not make a comparison.

[shraby]

4. Guess you missed this "Obama hit the ground running"

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8156500>

[YanquiUXO]

5. Also, this ice storm and consequent power outages are precisely why we need a new energy grid. nt.

[SoCalDem]

8. and it IS winter.. Ice storms in winter are not rare nt

[Suich]

9. Welcome to DU, YanquiUXO!

Hope you're not affected by this weather!

:party:

[Coexist]

6. He declared SOE already:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/president-obama-declares-emergencies-in-arkansas-and-kentucky/

RKANSAS

The President declared an emergency exists in the State of Arkansas and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local response efforts in the area struck by a severe winter storm beginning on January 26, 2009, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Johnson, Lawrence, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Perry, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren, Washington, White, Woodruff, and Yell.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

Nancy Ward, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named W. Michael Moore as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

KENTUCKY

The President also declared an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and ordered Federal aid to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts in the area struck by a severe winter storm beginning on January 27, 2009, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Boyd, Boyle, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Clark, Crittenden, Daviess, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Floyd, Fulton, Garrard, Graves, Grayson, Hardin, Harrison, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, Larue, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Madison, Magoffin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McCracken, Meade, Mercer, Metcalfe, Morgan, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Owsley, Perry, Powell, Shelby, Todd, Trigg, Union, Washington, Webster, Wolfe, and Woodford.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

Nancy Ward, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Kim R. Kadesch as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

[FrenchieCat]

10. What should he say? Isn't better to walk the walk

than simply talk the talk?

Sometimes news conferences are to do the Grandstanding. Perhaps it is a good thing that Obama is not mugging for the cameras just cause he can. :shrug:

President Barack Obama issued a federal emergency disaster declaration for Kentucky and Arkansas late Wednesday. By noon Thursday, 50 generators large enough to power hospitals or water treatment plants arrived at Fort Campbell for distribution.

Five communication vans for emergency operations were on their way to Western Kentucky, where there were widespread cell and land-line phone outages. Federal Emergency Management Agency staff were expected to arrive soon to help with damage assessments.

About 1,000 Kentucky National Guard troops were dispatched throughout the state to clear debris and help with emergency operations.

In many hard-hit areas, packed hotels turned away people willing to pay to get out of the cold; other citizens without heat flocked to more than 100 public shelters across the state.

More than anything, what utility crews, local officials and shivering citizens needed was a break from Mother Nature, which hammered the area for three days with rain, ice and snow — and is expected to keep the freeze on until the weekend.

----
This weekend appears to be the first real possibility of warmer days, with a high of 37 forecast for Saturday, and possibly 51 on Sunday.

Help from Washington

Gov. SteveBeshear said Thursday during a tour of Western Kentucky that Obama called him about 9 p.m. Wednesday and they spoke for about 10 minutes.

"I talked with him about the various trouble spots we had, the lack of drinking water in some places, having to get heat to many of our shelters and nursing homes, and the widespread power outages," Beshear said. "He expressed his concern for the folks of Kentucky and wanted to let everyone know his thoughts and prayers were with us all."

Obama completed the disaster emergency paperwork in less than an hour, Beshear said. Obama signed the declaration after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. The disaster declaration will bring federal resources and staff to the state.

Federal officials are hauling truckloads of water, ready-to-eat meals and the large generators to a staging area at Fort Campbell in southwestern Kentucky, said Mary Hudak, a spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's southeast region.

The water trucks will help in some 55 water districts that don't have power. About 93,000 people statewide were without access to water by midday Thursday, said Monica French, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management.

Beshear said the federal government approved the state's request for FEMA to conduct damage assessments immediately, rather than the normal process of waiting for local officials to make the estimates first.

"It will move the federal reimbursement process along faster than it normally would," Beshear said.

Beshear traveled to Paducah and Henderson by Blackhawk hel icopter on Thursday. His mission was twofold: to get updates from local officials and to explain what the state is doing to help.

From the helicopter "you can't really see the real devastation on the ground: the downed power lines, people in shelters, people having to be moved from nursing homes to warm places," Beshear said.
http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/story/675914.html

[stillcool]

12. he could have at least done a fly-over...

what good is all this, without mugging with the Governor?

President Barack Obama issued a federal emergency disaster declaration for Kentucky and Arkansas late Wednesday. By noon Thursday, 50 generators large enough to power hospitals or water treatment plants arrived at Fort Campbell for distribution.

Five communication vans for emergency operations were on their way to Western Kentucky, where there were widespread cell and land-line phone outages. Federal Emergency Management Agency staff were expected to arrive soon to help with damage assessments.

About 1,000 Kentucky National Guard troops were dispatched throughout the state to clear debris and help with emergency operations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gov. SteveBeshear said Thursday during a tour of Western Kentucky that Obama called him about 9 p.m. Wednesday and they spoke for about 10 minutes.

"I talked with him about the various trouble spots we had, the lack of drinking water in some places, having to get heat to many of our shelters and nursing homes, and the widespread power outages," Beshear said. "He expressed his concern for the folks of Kentucky and wanted to let everyone know his thoughts and prayers were with us all."

Obama completed the disaster emergency paperwork in less than an hour, Beshear said. Obama signed the declaration after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. The disaster declaration will bring federal resources and staff to the state.

Federal officials are hauling truckloads of water, ready-to-eat meals and the large generators to a staging area at Fort Campbell in southwestern Kentucky, said Mary Hudak, a spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's southeast region.

The water trucks will help in some 55 water districts that don't have power. About 93,000 people statewide were without access to water by midday Thursday, said Monica French, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management.

Beshear said the federal government approved the state's request for FEMA to conduct damage assessments immediately, rather than the normal process of waiting for local officials to make the estimates first.

"It will move the federal reimbursement process along faster than it normally would," Beshear said.

[ThomWV]

16. He should decry the ice storms, show his hatred for them, show them to be a Republican scam,

all of our hatred should be focused on ice storms and we should eliminate them from the earth forever. Why should we, masters of the 21st century's technology, have to put up with Republican ice storms?

[stray cat]

11. No - I can't remember ice storms, snow storms, heavy rains usually getting presidential attention

States are good for something

[terisan]

13. I am hearing dissatisfaction on radio with the way things are going and I am a few

states away. The cold, power outages, and deaths are being reported.

I don't think the flippant comment (possibly a joke) about the schools closing in DC were appreciated in some areas. I heard reports that Obama was turning up the thermostat in the WH.---

I believe that this storm should have gotten more attention from the White House and I was surprised it did not.

However I don't get the impression that people are angry about the lack of attention.

[eilen]

15. Why would it get more attention from the WH

outside of deploying FEMA. There are multiple crisis the President is dealing with. We periodically get ice storms, some very severe. We generally have emergency plans for it and get support from the Nat'l Guard, neighboring communities and, of course, the lineman's unions and the power delivery companies send teams from all over. I find it odd that the Kentucky officials are saying it will take up to 6 weeks for power-- that is unacceptable.