As storms and tornadoes ravaged through Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and North Carolina, residents were left without shelter, staring at what remained of their homes. More than 300 people were reported dead, making this one of the worst disasters since Hurricane Katrina and the 1974 Hurricane Carmen that killed 310 people. Despite the damage, the state, local and federal government’s roles have far exceeded expectations since Katrina in 2005. In 2005, when Katrina hit New Orleans, the state, local and federal government’s roles in terms of preparing and responding to the storm received strong criticism. Most of the criticism was received through the media where images of frustrated political leaders and images of residents who remained without food, shelter or water for days caused a stir. After four days, President Bush had signed a 10.5 billion dollar relief package, ordering active-duty troops to help hasten the relief efforts. Nevertheless, despite the 10.5 billion dollar package, the US Congress believed the efforts to be too slow because the affected areas were mainly poor. Also, the National Guard units did not have enough staff members to further improve relief efforts, largely in part because most of the units were deployed both internationally and in local cities and schools. However, the government’s slow response in aiding the New Orleans residents before and after Katrina hit had triggered a more fast-paced response to the string of tornadoes in the South. About 3,000 National Guard staff members responded to the storms and tornadoes that hit 11 states on April 29, including a completely stricken Alabama, where twisters in Tuscaloosa destroyed several university campuses. According to CNN, around 1,100 Guard members were in Alabama on May 2 and Robert Bentley, the governor of Alabama, had authorized up to 2,000 members to help speed up the clean-up and recovery. The Guard members’ main mission was to search and rescue residents and provide security and transportation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), whose failure to provide residents with adequate aid during Katrina is directly tied to the Bush administration’s decision of pulling the federal government out of natural disaster relief in order to turn more power over to state and local officials, has redeemed itself during the Alabama storm. FEMA has opened recovery centers in Alabama, including Tuscaloosa county, to aid residents whose homes were destroyed and said that nearly 36 million in funding has been approved through its Individuals and Households Program. According to Bentley, they have “gotten past the rescue stage and have begun the recovery stage.” Katrina was a consequence of bad leadership, or the lack of leadership, while Alabama’s storm could be marked by immediate responses to the disaster and providing immediate aid and shelter to those affected by it and prevent another catastrophe like Katrina.
2011-06-07