Good thing Irene wasn't bigger. We'd have had another Katrina on our hands.
One thing that's clear: Despite all the early back-patting by our politicians, our disaster preparedness has NOT improved. Assistance and recovery are taking an extraordinarly long time . . . and Irene wasn't even a hurricane by the time it hit most of these areas up north.
September 1, 2011
Tempers Fray Over Recovery's Pace
By LISA FLEISHER And EMILY STEEL
wsj.com
Political leaders encountered frustrated residents in the northeast Wednesday, angered by days without power, continued flooding and what they perceived to be a slow government response to Hurricane Irene's devastation.
More than 1.8 million homes and businesses from Virginia to Vermont remained in the dark—with some people told they may not have power for days.
President Barack Obama on Wednesday granted both New Jersey and New York expedited disaster declarations, which would make individual storm victims and businesses eligible for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Mr. Obama plans to travel Sunday to heavily damaged Paterson, N.J., where more than 1,500 people have been evacuated.
The governors of New Jersey and Connecticut—one a Republican, one a Democrat—discovered the risks for them in such visits.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie visited Lincoln Park—his fourth straight day touring devastated communities—and some residents there shouted questions at him as he took two questions from the press. Residents asked him to do something about the Passaic River, which routinely floods, and he said he was only answering reporters' questions at that point.
"Oh, I come out and answer your questions all the time," he said, jokingly, as residents shouted at him. "I have to deal with the press right now. You had about 50 of my town-hall meetings. We'll come back."
Valrie Simpson, a Lincoln Park resident, said she, her husband and 11-year-old daughter have been in a shelter since Monday. "I'm so furious right now," she said. "[Politicians] just talk up a storm, they just take photos and then just go on their merry way, they don't care."
Further fraying nerves in flooded communities is the realization that Washington's wrangling over government spending has extended to how to pay for Hurricane Irene relief.
On Monday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) said that as FEMA funding dwindles, storm aid should be offset with budget cuts. Mr. Christie, a Republican, said he agreed budget cuts are needed—but those battles shouldn't hold up dollars to his state.
"Nobody was asking about offsetting budget cuts in Joplin, and I don't want to hear about the fact that offsetting budget cuts have to come first before New Jersey citizens are taken care of," said Christie, referring to the May tornado in the Missouri town.
He toured his state with members of the state's congressional delegation, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.
And in Connecticut, a crowd of residents going on their fourth day without power were waiting for Gov. Dannel Malloy when he arrived at the Ledyard Town Hall parking lot. More than 275,000 Connecticut Light & Power customers were without power on Wednesday evening, according to state officials.
Standing with her school-age son and daughter beside her, Andrea Trout said she had Type 2 diabetes and was struggling to keep her insulin at the proper temperature because her refrigerator lost power. "I'm feeling afraid," she said. She has been in the dark since 7 a.m. Sunday.
Liz Malone, who works as a paraprofessional for special-education students, told the governor that she was forced to throw away $200 worth of food that had gone bad in her freezer and can't get paid because schools have been canceled. "We're struggling as it is," she said.
"I am not happy," Mr. Malloy said to the crowd, He said the state has more than 1,000 crews from across the country working to restore power.
He added that he understood their frustration: "Let's put this in perspective. Only two people died. It's miraculous if you think about it."
Mr. Malloy, a Democrat, was on his last stop in a tour of three towns in eastern Connecticut, a heavily wooded, rural area of the state. Trees continued to weigh on power lines, making several roads impassable. Grocery stores were dark, filled with the roar of generators to keep the food cold. Power could be out for at least another week, officials say.
Mr. Malloy said power was being restored to densely populated areas first and that businesses such as grocery stores are a priority.
"Let's put it in perspective," Mr. Malloy said at a stop in Pomfret, where residents complained they don't have a functioning 911 line. "We are a hardy stock in Connecticut.…We can bemoan the situation that we're in, but it's all durational."
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