Janice, that car is awful! I am glad you were able to get it replaced so quickly. The news is all over the place regarding the response of the federal government as compared to the usefulness of the local populations. It was like that during Katrina as well. The locals came from everywhere with their boats to assist with the rescues because the logistics of getting enough government types in place (including national guard from everywhere) can be a long time coming.
I am curious as to the federal response where you are just because it is a more accessible area than right up the road to Ashville right now. Are you disappointed with the federal response in any way? We quilters can start writing letters to our congress people to shore up the parts that aren't working right.
For instance, I keep hearing that FEMA used their money for the immigrants but the reality is that Congress tells them what to do with the money that they get. Housing money to reimburse the cities is not part of the natural hazard reserve money. They cannot just shift money around without Congress telling them to do it. I am sure the FEMA officials are waiting for Congress to come back online to appropriate more funds for more natural disasters. They claim they have enough for the Helene disaster but I haven't tracked down their budget.
Another ugly rumor I heard was that flood insurance will not be paid out to Helene victims. The reality is that only 2% of the affected population had paid flood insurance. Those with the insurance should have no problem getting their funds from their policies. The question is whether or not their home owners policies will be able to pay out for reasons besides flooding. So what can the government do at this point to help the victims besides making low interest loans available to those who are credit worthy? What happens to those who are not credit worthy?
We need new legislation and new thinking on how to handle natural disasters in this country. We are supposed to be a country filled with innovators and entrepreneurs. We need them to step up to public service to help with enacting compassionate legislation and finding creative ways to fund such support. It is time for lots of cohesion between our public leaders.
I hate that this has happened to anyone but especially you, Janice. Your attitude is wonderful through this crisis and will keep everyone around you safe and sound. How are your kids in Ashville doing?