California fires - Katrina

by Hortensia 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  Hortensia

  in our local paper today:

  24.OCT.07

  More than 600,000 San Diego County residents have been displaced as of 6:00am this morning, surpassing the number of Katrina victims during the emergency in New Orleans.

  San Diego’s Office of Emergency Services (OES), a cooperative effort of City, County, Navy, Marine and National Guard organizations has been “a model” in the words of federal observers, as the orderly and well planned execution of setting up, staffing and directing emergency shelters throughout the county has been implemented and expanded as required.

  Citizen cooperation has been stellar. No panic or complaints have been witnessed during this disaster, just thankfulness for the outstanding job fire fighters and law enforcement has done during this disaster.
• 

  tula

  hortensia, I just saw the abc broadcast (internet) with gov. arnold. He is NUTS. He says everyone there is HAPPY and there is no room for complainers! Says all is well. (meanwhile other reports show all the people in shelters exhausted and so sad) Reporter asks questions about why planes on the ground instead of putting out fires? He says we have 90 planes. They all fly but some down because of wind sheer. Then, and this is just unbelievable...reporter asks question that pisses him off, but he smiles and grabs her hand and gives her a hard arnold squeeze to shut her up and he smiles and spews jibberish! Talk about being manhandled. He squshes her hand till she ends the interview! you dont need link. just go to abc news to see this boy wonder chavinist.

  are the fires near you? I know the smoke can drift hundreds of miles.
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  Hortensia

  well, he doesn't want to admit things might be difficult for some of these folks in the golden state. My sister had to evacuate - although she and her family are home again, they could be required to evacuate again. She said she is exhausted. I talked with another friend whose house is on the edge of the fire - she hasn't slept all week and is terrified, although she has everything packed and could load her car in six minutes, she said. I grew up in San Diego - looking at the map of the fires and the evacuated area I am stunned at the huge area that is affected.

  I'm inland about 100 miles from the coast. We haven't seen any smoke, until this evening when the wind changed direction. Now I can smell smoke, my eyes are burning and my throat hurts, and I'm not anywhere near the fire! The satellite map shows the smoke way out to sea - I bet the folks in Hawaii will smell it soon.
• 

  troubled mind

  My son and daughter in law are in San Diego city limits near Kearny Mesa area . They are fearful of losing power . They were told to stay home from work yesterday and Monday , but went back today . Son has to work outside (he has allergies) so even with a mask he is suffering .Both are complaining of headaches from the smoke . This is their first experience with wildfires so don't know what all to expect , they are learning as they go .

  He can see San Miguel mt. burning from where he works .
• 

  Hortensia

  wow - I imagine you are worried. My sister is quite close to the fire too, but she and her family got to go back to their house today.
• 

  changeling

  I feel terrible for these people. I'm glad things are better organized and there is better control than during Katrina.

  That being said, and speaking as a former Louisianian who was there during Katrina, there is not much room for comparison.

  First of all the socioeconomic status if those affected is radically different. Secondly, the New Orleans area is land locked, or should I say water locked. There is no easy way to get to safer ground w/o transportation (which many of the most affected did not have). Thirdly, once the "contra flow" of traffic was in effect the traffic getting out of the city was a nightmare, and if you wanted to get in and help someone you were not allowed to. And fourth, the government and help agencies like the red cross failed us miserably.

  Katrina proved to me, (a white, middle class, educated, citizen) beyond a shadow of a doubt, that class and race discrimination in this county is alive and well in the 21st century.

  changeling
• 

  Hortensia

  what I got out of katrina was that in a really serious disaster you need to be prepared because you are on your own. There is no way for help to reach everyone right away. I finally gave in and have a supply of canned food, water, batteries, first aid kit, blankets because the possibility in our area is first fire, second earthquake. And you are right, fire is different than flood - these folks have a warning and can pack up and be ready to evacuate.
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  ex-nj-jw

  (((((((((((((((((((((troublemind)))))))))))))))))))

  (((((((((((((((((((Hortensia)))))))))))))))))))))

  I hope your families remain safe!

  nj
• 

  Blueblades

  The FBI are investigating two men for arson.
• 

  Hortensia

  Also they have found something I was worried about when I heard about the Harris fire - a camp, probably of folks crossing the border, everyone burned to death. That area east of Tecate is where a lot of people hike into the US - I hope they don't find any more bodies.