“FEMA doesn’t do levees”
June 3rd, 2007
During recent flooding, some levees in Kansas were breached. (Yes, Kansas has levees!) According to the story, there was a quote from a FEMA official saying “FEMA doesn’t do levees.”
After New Orleans, I think the entire country would agree with that sentiment.
Although after some congressmen got involved, FEMA changed their tune, and now promises to fund 75% of the repair work.
Too bad their initial answer is “no” to anyone from ordinary citizens to county officials.
This small-scale problem gives some people a small idea of what people in New Orleans are still dealing with. It must be really frustrating.
Categories: General
Indeed. I live in Pensacola, actually just moved here before Ivan struck. My son was born a month early two days after Ivan and was expected to need medical equipment once he was sent home. I was in the Navy at the time and Navy Relief told me to contact FEMA as they do cover the cost of a generator up to some several hundred dollars.
The FEMA application asks if you have insurance (this is a verbal application). I guess I should have said no and left it at that but I told the rep no we didn’t have renter’s insurance as we had just moved (unplanned) and still had the old place so our existing policy would only cover it until it was transferred.
Two months later we got a letter in the mail. Notification that our claim had been denied since $our_insurer will cover the cost under $our_policy number. I hadn’t even given them the name of the company, let alone the policy number! Power had been back on for a week (luckily some steroid shots took care of the breathing and body temp regulation issues he had so he was able to come home) so there was no need. I still called the insurance company to see if they would have covered it and of course the answer was no. The agent laughed and said hold on one moment, they wanted to check something. They came back and said that the information had been released but that the information released had stated that we were not covered in Pensacola. So even the insurance company told them no!
Oh well.
Michael
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At least there are folks in New Orleans with the patience to have someone else put their lives in order. Even if it takes a life time. But…what else is government for. If you’ve been flooded you shouldn’t need to get a job too.
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