Tornado disaster victims ask, 'Where's FEMA?'

David Edwards and Mike Sheehan
Published: Wednesday March 7, 2007

Days after tornadoes devastated their town, citizens in Hope, Arkansas are crying out that they still has not received help from FEMA, the federal government's emergency management agency.

As 8,000 government mobile homes sit unused only 160 miles away, FEMA says it can't employ them until the tornado-ravaged area is declared a federal disaster area, CNN reports. As that has yet to happen, the trailers sit idle.

"It's unacceptable, it's reprehensible, and it's a symbol of what's wrong with FEMA," says Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), who later announced in a press release that a Congressional hearing is to be held on the lack of federal response to the tornadoes.
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/CNN_Tornado_disaster_Victims_ask_Wheres_0307.html

Why havent Bill and Hillary used their political pull to get something done?
After all,Hope is their home town.

Dont they care about their own neighbors?

mysteryman wrote:

Why havent Bill and Hillary used their political pull to get something done?
After all,Hope is their home town.

Dont they care about their own neighbors?

Good grief.

Is this satire?

Arkansas Senate wants FEMA trailers used to help tornado victims
Posted on 03/07/2007


The Arkansas Senate today passed a resolution calling on the federal government to supply aid and allow trailers sitting unused in Hope to be used to assist those affected by last month's tornado in Dumas.

The Senate resolution passed in a voice vote. The measure notes that there is very little rental property available in town for those displaced by the storm.

State Sen. Hank Wilkins IV of Pine Bluff said it does not appear likely the federal government will agree to provide the aid. State leaders have been calling for FEMA to provide the aid, regardless of whether the dollar amount of the damage qualifies under FEMA rules.

Thousands of trailers have sat unused at Hope's airport. They were bought to send to Louisiana to help victims of Hurricane Katrina but most never left Hope. They became fodder for critics of FEMA's response to the devastation caused by Katrina.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

"While FEMA has 8,420 brand new, fully furnished, never-used mobile homes in a cow pasture in Hope, Arkansas, they refuse to provide the people from Desha, Back Gate and Dumas counties with help. This is crazy," said Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.). "If this is the new and improved FEMA, I don't want any part of it.".......

.......But FEMA has refused Ross's request to release 150 mobile homes to shelter people in his state who were displaced on Feb. 24 by two tornadoes, because President Bush has not declared the counties a federal disaster area, precluding FEMA's involvement.