http://www.wral-tv.com/news/wral/1999/0930-fema-meeting/

Thursday September 30, 1999 11:42 PM

Flood Victims Share Their Frustrations With FEMA, State Officials

TARBORO (WRAL) -- Most of the flooding from Hurricane Floyd's has slowly drained away. But is has been a steady drain on the patience of people who still cannot go back home. Thursday evening, many of them had the chance to vent their frustrations to FEMA, state officials, and anyone else holding the cash for recovery.

At a meeting in Tarboro, residents shared their frustrations and wanted answers about the future of their community. It also gave officials the chance to let residents know how about getting the help they need.

After two weeks of dealing with the worst of what nature can dish out, they understand recovering will take the best mankind has to offer.

"We are all concerned about making sure that everybody can get back into where they were, if not all the way there, then most of the way. We want to give them as much help as we can," says Tarboro resident Morris Mays.

Residents want to know about the safety of their drinking water, and the safety of their homes.

For some who have lost everything, help cannot come soon enough. Pinetops resident Martha Johnson worries about the future of her community.

"I'm just disappointed that there is not a more coordinated effort between the state and my county officials to get this information out to these places, to the people, in a timely manner. To me time is the important issue here," says Johnson.

Johnson is not alone in her concerns. FEMA and state officials pointed out that North Carolina is just one of 18 states currently recovering from natural disasters.

But the extent of the devastation is leaving an impression on FEMA officials who got an aerial tour of the damage Thursday.

EPA Administrator Carol Browner says she has seen floods before, but nothing like what Floyd left behind.

FEMA officials say it will takes time to get around to everyone in need of their help.

"Sometimes they may be eligible for programs of which they're not even aware, says FEMA spokesperson Jay Baker. "We can't tell them over the telephone. When they call the application hotline number we ask 'What happened to you?' Then, from their words and description, we send out an inspector to evaluate what happened to them and what is their best plan for their long-term recovery."

Baker says no matter what you do, do not cancel your on-site interview with a FEMA inspector. He says that just further delays the process.

(See the site for related stories.)

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 01, 1999

Answers

Yeah, yeah,

Leave it to a Doomer who lives OUTSIDE the disaster area...and to the media...to put a negative anti-government spin on what's been going on here.

Sure there are some delays. There are bound to be. This is an unprecedented disaster, by any measure.

But the help that HAS been given thus far, has been Herculean. Have seen some of it with these own two eyes. Have DONE some of it. Military helicopters have saved hundreds of lives, literally. People have been literally plucked off the tops of their houses. Some people have been trapped in their attics in the midst of rising flood waters, with no way out....National Guard troops cut through their roof and got them out. The stories go on and on and on....incredibly amazing stuff, numerous heroic stories.

The national media (and the Doomers) love to concentrate on the negative. The local media, i.e. those closest to the story, have been concentrating on the POSITIVE....and there have been hundreds upon hundreds of positive stories. Hell, those in the NC Triangle area (which includes Durham, where Git lives) didn't even realize there was a problem down here, until days after it was occurring. That's a fact.

Those who are trying to exploit this event in an attempt to cast negative aspersions on government efforts at relief; or who are trying to further a Doomer agenda, are just flat clueless.

If you want to know what's happening in eastern NC, ask a sixth-generation life-long native with extensive local contacts. Not some outsider.

That native guy would be me.

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), October 01, 1999.

OH, chicken, you are such a great bird. You do everything, you know everything. Why, chicken, we should know to come and ask you rather than those clueless people who get interviewed. We should come and bow down before you --not.

Actually, chicken, you are simply a very sick bird. Been drinking too much water laced with pig excrement?

-- hawk (feeds@chicken.today), October 01, 1999.

No hawk,

I don't do everything, or know everything.

But I do live here. Do you?

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), October 01, 1999.

Chicken Little, I may live just outside the disaster area but I know people inside it and I've talked to them. In fact my husband just talked to his friend in Goldsboro this morning--his dam broke and he has no water, but thank God the water flowed away from his house. I also did field relief work after Hurricane Camille and MY disaster was bigger than YOUR disaster, so there. I'm too decrepit to help now, but don't think I haven't thought about sneaking down there and just leaving a note for Sweetie so he can't talk me out of it.

You apparently haven't noticed the embarrassing amount of requests I've made on this forum for donations to the stricken area, giving assorted addresses (provided by WRAL, by the way) where donations can be sent. Haven't seen anything like that from you--did you post any donation addresses or pleas for help or were you going to rely entirely on the government? There was also that wonderful post from Wile y cayote who lives near a dam, in Tarboro (I think), a positive item if ever there was one. And there were other posts I made too, talking about the heroic work done by the Salvation Army, for instance, and the massive effort to rescue people's pets (a Triangle effort, by the way, involving the Raleigh animal shelter and the vet school students at State in Raleigh).

You say, "Hell, those in the NC Triangle area (which includes Durham, where Git lives) didn't even realize there was a problem down here, until days after it was occurring. That's a fact." That is NOT a fact and you are a liar, Chicken Little. You hear me? A LIAR! There I shouted, surely you heard that. Every shop I walk into has a bin for donations. Every church I know of is collecting money and supplies. Neighborhood organizations, restaurants, other business and civic associations--all are helping the victims. Teams of firefighters and police officers fom Durham have done volunteer work down east. These drives and efforts were set up almost immediately, not days after the disaster. And how did people know how bad the situation was? Because the Triangle TV stations, like WRAL, sent their helicopters and reporters down there, broadcasting live from the devastation. Relief efforts here in the Triangle began IMMEDIATELY.

"Those who are trying to exploit this event in an attempt to cast negative aspersions on government efforts at relief; or who are trying to further a Doomer agenda, are just flat clueless." Wrong again. That information was posted to highlight the difference between expectations and reality. Yes, there's assistance for people to begin living their lives again, but it takes time to get the grant and loan checks processed. People expect instant help and it's not an instant process. The same will be true if Y2K causes any serious problems--GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE WON'T BE INSTANTANEOUS; PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEMSELVES FOR A WHILE. That is the message here, but of course you completely missed it.

"If you want to know what's happening in eastern NC, ask a sixth-generation life-long native with extensive local contacts. Not some outsider." Why wait to be asked, Chicken Little? Why didn't you post any of this before now? It's been two weeks since Floyd hit, you know, and I've never known you to be shy about posting. Oh, and I love your choice of words for me: "some outsider." Yes, I know about that special brand of xenophobic North Carolinian that Edgerton describes so well. There are a few in my neighborhood, and everybody detests them, including the sixth-generationer, lifelong residents. Your maw-maw didn't go to school with my grandmother but that doesn't mean I'm any less of a person than you are.

I look forward to you posting some useful, practical or informative posts in the near future. If you had left out the venom, this one would have been pretty good. Despite what you think, people on this forum love hearing about heroic rescues. Why not tell us in detail about what you saw?

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 01, 1999.

hawk:

Okay, let's add to that.

The media doesn't always give a balanced picture, now does it. Doomers should say "Amen" to that, if anyone should.

The article from the News & Observer that Old Git quoted is from a Raleigh paper. If you know anything at all thing about North Carolina, then you know that anything east of I-95 has always been viewed by areas west of I-95 (including Raleigh and Durham) as the bastard step-child of the state.

The flood disaster has mainly occurred east of I-95. So anybody who knows anything about NC knows that any coverage of this disaster that comes from west of I-95 will be skewed.

On top of that, the N&O article mentions the opinions of but a few people. I myself have talked with hundreds of people, only a few of whom have voiced opinions similar to those voiced in the N&O article. I live 25 miles from Tarboro, where the lady interviewed in the N&O article lives; we have suffered similar devastation right here. But not many local people share her views.

Sure, some people have suffered more than others. And they need more immediate assistance. Those cases need special attention; and if they aren't being served quickly, then they've got a legitimate gripe.

But that's not the general case around here. Things are proceeding as they should, in general. I live here, you don't. I know what's going on, since I live here; you don't. Kindergarten simple, ain't it?

Further comments on the media: I went out last week on animal boat rescues. A film crew from ABC's '20/20' went along for the ride. They mainly got in the way, and slowed down what we were trying to do. Whatever film they got was not an accurate representation of what was ordinarily going on; their very presence altered the normal operation of things.

So what I'm trying to say is this, and I've seen it up close and personal, since I'm right in the middle of this thing (have you grasped that concept yet?):

If you're relying on the media to give you a totally accurate representation of what's really going on here, you might as well look at Saturday morning cartoons.

I live here. Have seen the whole thing, start to now. You don't; you haven't. That's the bottom line.

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), October 01, 1999.

OK Miss Git,

Let's talk about your 'venomous' reply to my 'venom'.

I have kinfolk all over this fair State. Those who live west of I-95 let me know by telephone and by e-mail that they had no idea of the trouble we were in, until 2 days or more after the fact. So, Ma'am, I am NOT a liar. Neither is my entire family. YOU HEAR ME?? You'd be well-advised to back way the hell up, ma'am.....Memphis might be a good stopping point....

I do appreciate the humanitarian requests you have made. Surely do. But I do not appreciate the implications you have made, that the government has been insufficient in response. That's like giving with one hand, and taking away with the other. The net result is ZERO.

The post from Wile E Coyote was a quote from a man who has zilch to do with Y2k posts/issues

"'If you want to know what's happening in eastern NC, ask a sixth-generation life-long native with extensive local contacts. Not some outsider.' Why wait to be asked, Chicken Little? Why didn't you post any of this before now?"

.....um, I've just been a touch busy lately. But you wouldn't know anything about that. And also am not really keen on asking Doomers for help.....every time I've ever tried to be friendly to Doomers on this forum, I've just gotten mud in the face....so why would I??? You tell me.

Thanks for your help for the region, Miss Git. I sincerely mean that. But it will seem more sincere if you, and your ilk, will suspend the Doomer agenda for a while, as regards this disaster. Slamming the government isn't helping us down here, not one little bit. I sincerely mean that, too.

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), October 01, 1999.

CL, don't be so prickly. Actually, thank goodness if some people DO view you as "the bastard step-child" (something I haven't heard in the six years I've lived here); if you were viewed more sympathetically, I can't imagine what more coverage you could get than the following--24-hour nonstop? By the way, I forget how many millions the WRAL-TV Floyd fund has garnered for the bastard stepchild down east. I'll post that number when I hear it again.

This is how biased and indifferent WRAL-TV (Raleigh) has been:

[Today's Floyd coverage is on the main local news page, of course]

Sept. 30 Seven Springs Seniors Face Flood Damage With Limited Resources Story Princeville Residents Return to Ruins Story Architects Helping Building Inspectors Assess Damage Down East Story Photos {Damage Along Tar River} - {Damage Along Neuse River} Video Sky5 aerial tours along: the Tar River {28.8 | ISDN and faster} the Neuse River {28.8 | ISDN and faster} Sept. 29

Students Must Make Up School Days Missed Due to Floyd Story Flood Victims Can Expect Financial Relief from the State Soon Story Flood Victims West of I-95 Say They Have Been Forgotten Story Jackson Tours Eastern North Carolina Story

Sept. 28

More Rain Brings More Flooding Story Emergency Pet Rescue Underway at NCSU Vet School Story Churches Helping Churches Recover from Floyd's Floods Story Hurricane Debris Filling Up Landfills; Storm Scavengers on the Rise Story More Rain Hampers Efforts in Tarboro Story Too Much of a Good Thing Can be Bad for Flood Flood Victims, Donors Story Nation Will Take Steps to Raise Money for Floyd Victims at Crop Walk Story Fixing Floyd-Damaged Road Means Maintenance Must Wait Story ECU Students Return to Class Wednesday Story

Sept. 27

'Camper City' Provides Shelters for Families That Lost Everything Story Getting Back to Business Easier Said Than Done Story Princeville Residents Still Waiting To Go Back Home Story Nash-Rocky Mount Workers Prepare Schools for Students' Return Story Young Volunteers Travel Great Distances to Help N.C. Story Call for Help Coming from Area Animal Shelters Story Displaced Workers Finding Jobs Through Disaster Relief Assistance Grants Story Recovery Assistance Centers Open to Businesses Story Salvation Army in Need of Volunteers Story FEMA Seeks Freezer Space Story ECU Classes Resume Wednesday Story

Sept. 26 Many Migrants Trapped by Floyd Story Donations Push Church Outdoors Story Wayne County Farmer Searches for Cattle Story Grim Search Moves Into High Gear Story

Sept. 25

Agents Arrest Their First Post-Floyd Price-Gouging Suspect Story ECU Battles 'Different' Type of Hurricanes Story Donations Pouring into Flood Relief Center Story Federal Government Promising More Money to Help Floyd Victims Story

Sept. 24

Corps of Engineers Releases More Water From Falls Lake Story National Guard Relief Workers Giving More Than Just Their Time Story Generosity Abundant Despite Trying Times Story Bunn Lake Residents Vow to Rebuild their Waterfront Story N.C. State Vet School Houses Pets Stranded by Hurricane Story Students Adopt Schools, Lend Support to Peers in Eastern North Carolina Story Don't End Up With a Water-Logged Lemon Story Food Bank Feeds Floyd's Hungry and Homeless Story

Sept. 23

Flood Waters Slow to Recede in Some Areas Story Don't Be Fooled By After the Storm Scam Artists Story I-40 Reopens in Eastern North Carolina Story Volunteers Mobilizing Medical Relief to Flood Victims Story Restaurant Industry, Others Help with Hurricane Floyd Relief Efforts Story Lack of Clean Water Could Pose Weeks of Water Woes Story Recover Hard Drive Data From Your Drowning Computer Story Despite Long Hours, Volunteers Draw Strength From the People they Help Story Johnston Students Return to School Story Nashville Businesses Begin Cleaning As Waters Recede Story

Sept. 22 Coast Guard, Pope Airmen Search Princeville By Boat Story Animal Groups Come to the Rescue of Stranded Pets Story Hurricane Dennis a Contributor to Floyd's Massive Floods Story Patrols Protecting Flood Victims From Becoming Crime Victims Story Storm Surge of Calls Floods DOT Information Center Story Residents Returning Home Will Have to Do More Than Clean Up Story Gov. Hunt Appeals to N.C. Residents for Help, Outlines Recovery Plan Story Wake Students Pitch in to 'Aid' Fellow Students Story Donations, Volunteer Support Rolling to to Help Eastern North Carolina Story Photos {Flooding Photos} Sept. 21 Fort Bragg Soldiers Go to War Against the Water Story Gov. Hunt Appeals to NC Residents for Help, Outlines Recovery Plans Story Counselors On Hand to Help Victims Deal With Shelter Stress Story Some Families Move Into Temporary Homes Story In Edgecombe County, Some Roads to Recovery Still Blocked Story Goldsboro Residents Continue to Watch, Wait and Worry Story Tips for Cleaning Up After the Storm Story Usual Loan Options May Not Keep Farmers Above Water Story Some ECU Students Stranded, Many Lose Off-Campus Housing Story High Water, Damage Keep School Buses Off the Roads Story Paperwork Begins for People Needing Post-Floyd Funding Story Shelter Residents Get No Relief as Rains Rage Story Photos {Flooding Photos} Audio {Gov. Hunt's State of the State Address}- {Open Net Public Access Discussion} Video {Sky5 aerial tour: Wilson and Wayne Counties}

Sept. 20 President Tours Eastern N.C., Promises Help Story Schools Are Determined to Rise Above the Water Story Hurricane Floyd Dealt the Final Blow to Some Farmers Story Some Shelters Run Out of Supplies As Soon As They Get Them Story FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers Open to Aid Victims Story Donations On Way for Floyd Victims Story One Man's Perspective on a Disaster Story A Flood of Infection Can Come with Contaminated Water Story Operation Toy Box to Bring Smiles to Littlest Flood Victims Story Boat Tour Shows Depth of Damage in Wayne County Story Water Still On the Rise in Goldsboro, Kinston Story High Water Prevents Some Families From Burying Their Loved Ones Story Audio {Clinton's Speech in Tarboro} Video {See damage to a Wayne County road by boat } Sept. 19

Eastern N.C. Still Struggles with Floyd Story Floyd's Damage Deepens Story Rocky Mount Residents Return to Flooded Homes Story President Clinton to Visit Areas Destroyed by Floyd Story Photos {Flooding Photos} Video {Sky5's Aerial View of Flood damage}

Sept. 18 Sky5 Tours Flooded Counties in Eastern N.C. Story Curfews in Effect for Many Eastern N.C. Cities as Cleanup Begins Story Tarboro Residents Evacuate From Flooding Via Helicopters Story Video {Sky5's Aerial Tour of Eastern N.C. Flooding}

Sept. 17 Sky5 Tours N.C. Beaches Damaged by Hurricane Floyd Story Floyd Batters Emerald Isle, Oak Island Story Debris Disposal Leaves Some Wake County Residents Out on a Limb Story Volunteers Provide Shelter for Rocky Mount Evacuees Story Red Cross Volunteers Cooking Up Hot Meals in Flood-Weary Wilson Story Many Residents Discover Homeowners Insurance Does Not Cover Flooding Story Wilson Residents Say It's Like Living on and Island Story Flooding Closes Major Highways East of Raleigh Story Floyd Floods Eastern North Carolina, Leaves Residents Stranded Story Photos {Coastal Area} - {Local Area} Video {Sky5's Aerial Tour of the N.C. Coast: Part 1 | Part 2} Sept. 16 "Worst Flooding Ever" Claims Lives; Eastern NC Under Water Story Residents Along N.C. Beaches Survey the Damage Story Phone Preparations Ring True After the Storm Story Families Deal With Storm Stress As Hurricane Hits Story Photos {Raleigh/Garner} - {Wilson/Zebulon} - {Sampson/Wayne/Edgecombe Counties} - {Coastal Areas}

Video {Marine Copter Rescues Trucker from I-95 Flooding} - {Sky5 Aerials of Sampson, Wayne and Wilson Counties} - {Truck Driver Defies Flooded Road}

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 01, 1999.

The Marines, the National Guard, FEMA, all of them have been rendering heroic service to our state. This is inherently different from some kind of martial law scenario, a totally different animal. These people live here, the military is a major employer in this state. They are very popular and this is their home. Whenever there is a war or a call to service, you see on the national news the departure of troops from Fort Bragg, and we in NC are proud of this.

Also, remember the scale of this thing. The flooded areas are spread out over an area almost the size of Switzerland. I can't imagine any government anywhere being able to get a handle on all this at once.

Fema and military involvement in disasters is a good thing. There is a lot of speculation here about how they might be misused in another context, but that's just speculation. This isn't a riot. The military are our neighbors here, they just have camo jeans and better machines. My worst fears in y2k aren't martial law so much as an increase in the smaller type crime rate.

I found it a little curious that people wanted Fema to tell them about their wells. I would assume they are all contaminated, and begin chlorination and runout automatically.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), October 01, 1999.

Question...why not use this disaster as a pretext to outlaw those hideous factory pigfarms. Just ban the "lagoons."

-- B (b@b.com), October 01, 1999.

Lets see...

Ive always trusted and been impressed with the information Old Git has posted here.

The same cannot be said of Chicken Little.

He/she has ridiculed, reviled and generally attempted repeated disruptions of this forum--often downright UGLY. (I could provide a list... but what a waste of energy!)

And now Chicken Little asks that we trust everything it posts?

Ppppppfffftttttt!!! (And other rude noises... a la Whoppie Goldberg!)

CL, sorry, but your credibility factor is... zilch!

That said, Im quite sure everyone in NC, is coping and helping... the best they can. Including the dot govs. Its just that their response time seems to be a bit slower that the on-the-spot locals. Which is why, to extrapolate the lesson, the wiser ones among us, wont count on outside intervention, during potential simultaneous failures, nor on the dot gov PFA (Pluck From Air) assertions that... Y2K will be... a 3-day storm.

Duh.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 01, 1999.

Forrest, your Switzerland comparison is a good one, puts it in perspective. Of *course* it takes time to get those checks to victims--but some people don't understand that aid is not instantaneous. Most of us on this forum understand that and that is precisely why we are putting supplies away in case there is a problem come Y2K. We want to be able to take care of ourselves as long as possible rather than wait for aid agency help--which might be some time in coming.

Early in the Floyd crisis, there were some shelters operated completely by volunteers because the scale of the disaster was so great there were not enough agency employees and volunteers to handle the problems. Message: resources are stretched.

Chicken Little fails to understand that I am not criticizing FEMA for being too slow in this instance, I am pointing out that it takes time for the effort to kick into gear, time during which people become upset because they expect a check NOW. They see video of the teams of insurance agents coming in and writing checks on the spot and they expect FEMA to do the same. This is simply another reason why it would be prudent to have enough supplies to last two to three weeks at least to allow for the machine to get into gear--if it becomes necessary.

Nobody is slamming the National Guard, the airmen from Seymour Johnson, the Coast Guard, the Navy, the Army or anyone else who was involved in the dangerous rescues. My husband did rescue work when he was in the Navy--I well understand the heroic efforts our military makes.

I don't know where CL gets the idea that nobody up here knew anything about the extent of the damage until way after the event, because unless you're deaf, dumb and blind, you couldn't avoid the coverage. The two TV stations here carried continuous coverage for a couple of days and Floyd stories have been top news on TV and in the press for over two weeks now. Forrest, who's in a town about 15 miles from me, posted on many of the threads I started about Floyd and was well-informed by the media.

Noting from the news item first posted that NC is only one of 18 states being aided by FEMA and combining that with an item I heard last night that some people are going to be living in FEMA trailers for as long as 18 months, you can see the problem. If we have difficulties at the rollover, resources are already stretched to their limit. It's all the more reason to add a few more cans to the stash.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 01, 1999.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Chicken Little is a complete BIRDBRAIN and proves my point over and over and over again.

-- Chicken Little is a BIRDBRAIN (noone@nowhere.com), October 01, 1999.

Andy,

Knows ya when I sees ya ol' bud, but we won't tangle this time. Since I don't have access to Phil's IP files, and you're hiding. (Like I'd want access anyway.....have been chest-deep in enough dirty mess lately)

Diane, you talk about my credibility. Those starving dogs and cats I helped rescue the other day didn't see Diane J. Squire pulling them out of a flooded trailer park. Those people who had lost everything they own didn't have Diane J. Squire helping them pick out possessions to get them back on their feet the other day. Etc. etc. Come stay here a while before you go talking about credibility.

I'll guarantee you that people like me have 100,000% more credibility in these parts, more than loony Doomer crystal-gazers such as you.

Git...maybe I have taken you a bit wrong. If you're on the level, then you have had a much better news feed than everybody I know.

When this flood thing first hit, I e-mailed everybody I personally knew straightaway; they were like, "Huh? You're joking." Seriously. Everybody (us here included) figured Floyd came and went, no big deal. The flood took the rug right out from under our feet. Everybody. Complete surprise mindblower.

If you had early warning, hats off to you. Wish we'd had your news feed. A lot more lives would have been saved.

Diane -- once more, hon -- come stay here for a while before you go talking junk. Your kind would have gone swimming out of here with its tail between its legs, long ago.

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), October 01, 1999.

And if that last post bothered you gals: that's what we call getting 'mildly riled' around here

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), October 01, 1999.

Chicken, that's not fair. You're doing it again, misjudging people, that is. I'll bet you Diane has done hands-on, practical helping work too; many of us have. We're not the selfish assholes you seem to think we are. The stuff I did in Camille was animal rescue--down and dirty like you're doing, battling fire ants, snakes and disbelieving deputies. I've concentrated on the sorely neglected animals in this catastrophe as well, although not directly hands-on. Many people from this forum have sent donations to the various Floyd funds and the animal rescue folks, and I got mail from Scat this morning, saying she and her sister had sent pet food to the Salvation Army for distribution. Did you know the Tarboro animal shelter had to shut down and all the animals were evacuated to Raleigh? The Raleigh shelter has sent at least one team down to the area to rescue animals and the vet school in Raleigh is taking care of their medical needs. I believe Pittsboro is helpign too.

I'm really happy to know you're rescuing animals. I'd love to help by providing a foster home but we already have nine cats--all rescues and two or three who will never be tame. Many of us, because of age, jobs, families, other responsibilties, can't get down there and rescue animals--you know we can't. But we'll send our checks and our pet food and do what we can.

Thanks for helping out and try not to think so badly of us.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 01, 1999.

Well Chicken... good on you! You have a compassionate heart. (Who'd'a thunk it, by the dribble you consistently post here?)

I helped out a lot of friends, strangers and animals, during a whole town's evacuation due to incoming forest fires... and during the Northridge quake. Just for starters. (Won't bore you with the details, 'cause I KNOW you're not interested).

Next year... expect to help out wherever I can for Y2K in my local area.

Most "people" do. When push comes to shove.

See... there's some humanity left in you afterall!

Shift Happens.

;-D

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 01, 1999.

Y'all get 'canes and floods. We get 'quakes and wildfire s.

"The readiness is all."

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), October 01, 1999.

Thanks Mac,

Wind n Wet versus Shake n Bake. What a choice!

Diane

(Thanks for that fire link! My "stuff" is still in storage in Riverside County).

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 01, 1999.

Well damn.

A very rare apology from the CL guy.

If you gals have helped animals in distress, I'll just have to lighten up on ya'll. Point in common. That is very definitely a soft spot.

Yeah Git I heard about the Tarboro shelter. That whole area got hammered, bad. I work with the Pitt County shelter from time to time. They got flooded out too, had to move to behind the Medical School Building at ECU. I got the call, had to go. Tough and dangerous work it was, but wouldn't trade it for anything. Did some private rescues too. Hope this was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Propane in the water, cow & hog crap, moccasins...was a mess. We were REQUIRED to get tetanus shots prior. Had to dispatch a viper or two.

Anyway. Revising some opinions here.

Still a 2, tops, on the Doom scale though!

And dammit living in a disaster area DOES give a person a little bit of 'knowledge' in the Y2k arena. Practical knowledge, as opposed to theory. You have to admit that.

But glad to know you've done some animal rescues.

-- Chicken Little (panic@fortherbirds.net), October 01, 1999.

Well Chicken Little,

See... we DO have some common ground. Amazable.

For starters... I rescued, with the help of a series of synchronicities... a mama cat and four new-born kittens that had been dumped in a trash can with the lid on. (Longer story). Then about the same time borrowed a Have-A-Heart trap... to catch a semi-wild, homeless, very pregnant tiger kitty... whose five little ones would have been coyote bait. At the peak... took care of eleven cats/ kittens in all, and found homes for ALL of them.

Two are still with me... one of the trash-can kittens... and the once wilder and now calmer mama-tiger cat. Both very beloved.

Then there was the cat stuck up a tree... and... and...

;-D

Just remember the pets for Y2K... and have some extra put by.

Yes... practical knowledge is always the great teacher... for any kind of future lessons... Y2K and beyond.

Peace.

And best wishes, CL, in what can only be a very trying time for all in the flood zone... including you. Really... you have my best wishes... and hopes that it all doesnt get piled higer and deeper... at the rollover.

Being prepared... for the unexpected... is only prudent.

Diane, former girl-scout & past, current and future animal lover

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 01, 1999.

Chickie, we hear 70 is open all the way so Sweetie has gone to Goldsboro/Raeford. If you're around and able, the Maxecuters are holding a scale model plane contest today (free-flight, no engines, except rubber bands), exquisite models of balsa and tissue paper. See

http://www.his.com/~tschmitt/001COMINGATTRACTIONS/comingattractions.ht ml

October 1 and 2, 1999 KUDZU LAND AND LAKE CONTESTS in Goldsboro and Raeford, North Carolina.

Same events as last year except for the COMET Dimer Spad -Fokker DVII shootoff and added Earl Stahl Interstate Cadet One Design.

There are also photos at the site, one of Sweetie, but I ain't sayin' which! If you drop by, just ask for the Brainbuster from Durham.

The guys who fly are an interesting bunch, some of them from NASA and Langley AFB--one designed the first lunar thingie, and there's a Chuck Yeager sidekick who usually competes.

(Yes, I know this is DREADFULLY off topic, so bite me, y'all.)

If you're ever up Durham way, let me know and the Hungarian and I will take you out for coffee or something. She has 20 rescues, indoors. She does most of the work, but I help her trap ferals at three colonies for spaying, neutering and shooting at the vet school for re-release into their habitat. I usually stand guard with the cell phone and, um, a legal weapon, because trapping takes place at night. She feeds them regularly and checks on their well-being, and I sometimes help with that too.

Maybe we'll have coffee at Wellspring where you can buy all sorts of great dried food for your 3-day stash! (It's a whole foods place, has good dried chili, refrieds, hummus, falafel, etc.)

I'd like to be a 2, but with Sweetie being in the computer field and having personal knowledge of some of the state workings and me of the city workings, well, I have to be around a 6-7 on my good days. Yes, disaster has a way of making you acutely aware of what MIGHT happen. And if you bear in mind the first disaster I have any experience with was World War II, then you can understand why I err on the side of extreme caution. I don't take well to deprivation of basics.

Keep saving those pets and the Hungarian and I will keep sending checks to the vet school--I know this will be a long-term thing. Hey--do you guys need any help in the way of funds or food for the pets? Let me know.

Anyone wh would like to donate to Floyd pets, please see the following from WRAL-TV (Raleigh), which includes information on what and where.

Friday September 24, 1999 04:47 PM

NC State Vet School Houses Pets Stranded by Hurricane

RALEIGH (WRAL) -- Hundreds of pets have been forced from their homes by the flooding in eastern North Carolina. Many of them will be staying at N.C. State's vet school until they can be reunited with their families.

The crates are set up. The paper is laid. Dogs rescued from the floods have a warm place to stay.

"These dogs were all found either swimming or in very small areas as the water was rising. They were pulled in by boats," said Melissa Forberg, Humane Society spokesperson.

Some of the animals have various health problems, broken bones and parasites from drinking contaminated water.

But the future is bright for many of the animals being cared for by the vet students.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to see some of the injuries and diseases that occur commonly," said Dr. Kelli Ferris.

The Humane Society is expecting more than 100 dogs and cats to be brought here. The goal is to give them food, shelter and tender loving care until their owners claim them or another home is found.

If you can identify one of these dogs, or would like to adopt one in the future, call (919) 715-9679.

If you would like to make a donation, call (800) HUMANE-1 or send a check to the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Foundation at 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606.

You can also drop off pet supplies -- food, carriers -- at a trailer set up on Blue Ridge Road near the North Carolina Museum of Art.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 02, 1999.

From the FEMA web-site... Pets Are Disaster Victims, Too

http://www.fema.gov/ nwz99/pets.htm

While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other government and voluntary agencies work to help the human victims of the Hurricane Floyd disaster, the Humane Society of the United States is working to help the four-legged disaster victims.

Animal rescue efforts continue in North Carolina, with hundreds of animals being cared for in temporary animal shelters. But the Humane Society of the U.S. and other animal disaster relief organizations are asking for more volunteers to help with activities.

Individuals, families or other groups interested in volunteering in emergency animal rescue and shelter efforts should call the Animal Rescue Hotline at (252) 641-7520 or (252) 641-7579, or can drop by the temporary shelter set up at 2909 North Main Street in Tarboro, North Carolina.

North Carolina residents searching for their lost pets can also call those numbers. Photos of rescued pets are also being posted online at Humane Society of the United States web site. http://www.hsus.org/disaster

Disasters hit pets hard, in part because pets are often not included in a family's plan for dealing with emergencies. To make disasters less disastrous on your pets:

* DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND if you need to evacuate. Pets generally cannot survive on their own or may be lost in the ensuing confusions.

* Find out which motels and hotels in your area allow pets - well in advance of needing them. Most emergency shelters cannot accept pets. Include your local animal shelter's number in your list of emergency numbers - workers there might be able to provide information concerning pets during a disaster.

* Make advance arrangements with out-of-town friends or relatives, boarding kennels or veterinarians to arrange for care in case of a disaster.

* Make sure identification tags are up to date and securely fastened to your pet's collar. If possible, attach the address and/or phone number of your evacuation site. If your pet gets lost, his tag is his ticket home. Make sure you have a current photo of your pet for identification purposes.

* Make sure you have a secure pet carrier, leash or harness for your pet so that if he panics, he can't escape.

* Take pet food, bottled water, medications, veterinary records, cat litter/pan, can opener, food dishes, first aid kit and other supplies with you in case they're not available later. Before disaster strikes, put together a "pet survival" kit that could be easily deployed if disaster hits.

If you have no alternative but to leave your pet at home, there are some precautions you must take. Confine your pet to a safe area inside. NEVER leave your pet chained outside! Place a notice outside in a visible area, advising what pets are in the house and where they are located. Provide a phone number where you or a contact can be reached as well as the name and number of your vet.

When you return home after a disaster, be aware that your pet's behavior may change for a while. Normally quiet and friendly pets may become aggressive or defensive. Be sure to give them lots of love and keep them leashed as they explore their surroundings. Familiar scents and landmarks may be altered and your pet may become confused and lost.

Link to Animals And Emergencies http://www.fema.gov/fema/anemer.htm

Updated: September 29, 1999

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 02, 1999.