Katrina FEMA FUBAR

Based on Matt's Friday report, we received this tale from fellow Gnomie, Jim Cox:

The whole FEMA response was terrible. Not only did they not have adequate transportation to get the people out of New Orleans, the logistics of getting help into the Big Easy was also screwed up.
My son drives a refrigerated 18 wheeler. He was contracted by FEMA on Friday, Aug 27 and sent to Atlanta and loaded with ice (90,000 lbs). The military base where the trucks were staged in Atlanta was full so he was sent to Montgomery, AL. He sat in Montgomery until Sunday when FEMA decided he and several other trucks needed to move to Meridian, MS. There were no facilities available for the aproximately 800 truck drivers on the base; no food, no showers, no shelter. They had Porta-Potties for restrooms. They ate and drank what they had with them and shared amoung themselves. They rode out the storm in their trucks. The eye of the hurricane passed over the Naval Station where they were (the Porta-Potties were blown away.) On Wednesday they were assigned a place to drive their loads, assigned a National Guard Solder for security, and sent out. My son was sent to a small town in Mississippi where he gave out all his ice.
When he asked what to do next he was told to go back to where he came from. He returned to Meridian Naval Station and was told they had nothing else to ship and he needed to return to Montgomery, AL. Also they had no truck fuel. On his way back to AL, he ran out of fuel and sat on the side of the interstate for several hours until another trucker from his company stopped and gave him some fuel. They arrived in Montgomery on Friday morning. He was fed, fueled and got a shower (after a week). He contacted the FEMA (Land Star) “War Room” in Florida for and they tod him he needed to stay for another load. The FEMA manager in charge of the site asked him what he was still doing there and released him. He came home today.
The biggest problem he saw was there was little communications between the people surveying the damage and the “war rooms”. Then there was no one in charge to coordinate the flow of medical, food, ice, and water into the devistrated area.

I have to admit: I've been watching the news incessantly this week. The media may be acting irresponsible, though I can't help but look.

Need a new domain name? See why GoDaddy is the #1 domain registrar worldwide. Now with your domain registration, you'll get hosting, a free blog, complete email system, and much more! Plus, as a listener of The Chris Pirillo Show, enter code CHRIS1 when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy!