Katrina's Law in 2005

Katrina's Law in 2005

Where's the federal government when you need them?

http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/u-v/untershine/2005/untershine090505.htm

Jim Untershine, GZS of LB, 09-03-05

Hurricane Katrina executed a flawless splash dive off the coast of Biloxi, MS on 8-29-05. Landfall of a hurricane that is west of your location on the Mississippi Gulf Coast results in flood of water being pushed ashore by the counterclockwise winds. The water level grew 30 feet before it receded, washing my Mom and Dad's 2 story, 5-bedroom house across the street. My brother, Mark, was waist deep in his living room before seeking refuge in the attic. A neighbor of my parents had to swim through his house underwater to escape from his attic before watching his house wash away.

My Dad and Mom made the right decision to stay with a friend only a block away (on higher ground) and relieved our anxiety 2 days later by getting thru on a cell phone. The experience for family and friends who wish to help are like a deer caught in the headlights - not knowing what is needed to do. The experience associated with the aftermath of a hurricane along with the resulting tornadoes and flooding is truly a test of character. You are disconnected from communication, escape routes are unknown, and help is limited to your neighbors. Ice is needed to allow eating everything you keep in the refrigerator. Water is needed since the tap water cannot be trusted. Gas is needed to operate your generator or allow a means of transportation to seek help or evacuate.

While we sit back helpless to be of assistance, I can't help but formulate obvious solutions to the shortcomings of a progressive nation. The lack of communication in an age of radios and satellites, the lack of basic shelter in the age of recreational vehicles, the lack of coordination to relocate survivors in the age of database software, the lack of emergency funding in the age of the credit card, and the lack of jobs in a city desperately needing help in reconstruction and security.

A state or city concerned for their citizens would secure a large supply of water, propane, gasoline, RVs, power feeds, and transportation paths to key locations. In the wake of calamity:

• A credit card and a radio would be issued to survivors to provide emergency expenditures, ease the burden on those providing aid, and to allow public broadcasts to be received by those displaced. All survivors would be entered into a database to verify their survival, identify their needs, and confirming their willingness to stay and help.

• Those who wish to house a survivor would be cross-matched in the database to provide options for the survivors who choose to leave and provide feedback to those who care. Mass transportation destined for a survivor's chosen destination would be coordinated via public broadcast.

• Those willing to stay and help out would be provided with a temporary self contained RV, that was stored free of charge for the owner by the locality in exchange for keeping the RV operational and equipping it with a CB radio.

• Each RV would be located as close to the survivor's community as possible that can be easily accessed by trucks replenishing the food, water, propane, gasoline, fresh batteries, and extracting waste water.

• Those willing to stay and help out will be paid for their efforts regarding projects of reconstruction organized by the locality.

Regardless of the nature of any disaster, the forgoing would seem to be required and enthusiastically supported by Homeland Security. Many taxpayers would feel that their money is worth paying if they felt it would insure their safety if they unavoidably became a victim of circumstance. Unaffected taxpayers would feel more comfortable knowing that a system is in place to help survivors start paying taxes again.

I feel compelled to challenge lobbyists for Credit Card Companies, Mass Transportation Services, RV manufacturers, Cell phone Companies, and Database System Developers to seek federal funding under 'Katrina's Law' to supply these demands because it is a national embarrassment if we don't.