Hurricane #2 coming ..

[got3fords]

As for the incidents - Anyone using the acronym "MSM" already gets a healthy dose of skepticism from me. There are bits of truth spread throughout, but the real question is whether the assessments of those situations is correct. And the answer to those is going to be almost invariably no. The media sources you site all have VERY STRONG agendas. And citing the social media platform formerly known as Twitter doesn't really give me any kind of confidence. Especially when it comes straight from Elon Musk. That guy is a certified whacko and an ass.

Anyone who says "That guy is a certified whacko and an ass." already gets a healthy dose of skepticism from me.

Sponsored

 

[AzScorpion]

Anyone who says "That guy is a certified whacko and an ass." already gets a healthy dose of skepticism from me.

I won't disagree that Elon is a little wacky but he is a very smart guy and is trying to help! Also I'm so sick of people who claim everything is a conspiracy yet only to be proven wrong later when the truth comes out. This happened many times since 2020 and the MSM (all of them) are nothing but a bunch of lying %#$@!&! They're all nothing but glorified tabloid writers and I put them all the same category with car salesman, attorneys and insurance salesman.??

 

[TJC]

I won't disagree that Elon is a little wacky but he is a very smart guy and is trying to help! Also I'm so sick of people who claim everything is a conspiracy yet only to be proven wrong later when the truth comes out. This happened many times since 2020 and the MSM (all of them) are nothing but a bunch of lying %#$@!&! They're all nothing but glorified tabloid writers and I put them all the same category with car salesman, attorneys and insurance salesman.??

That wacky guy is the only reason the US is still sending people into space. Boeing certainly can't get it right.

The word "Wacky" applies much more to you know who and her than to him. I am not sure what to do with people who can't string two sentences together into a single cohesive thought.

I am leaning over the line, but I will not step over it! I dislike people who repeatedly quote Karl Marx over and over again. ( "What can be unburdened by what has been" )

That quote has significant meaning. Take a few minutes and listen to this short discussion

Next topic for me.

 

[mtbikernate]

Chuck Edwards condemns Hurricane Helene response myths spread by GOP colleagues (msn.com)

 

[mtbikernate]

I won't disagree that Elon is a little wacky but he is a very smart guy and is trying to help!

A little wacky? Yes, he's very smart. But he's also very much out in lala land. He essentially has handlers that insulate his companies from his erratic behavior. Though as I understand it, that isn't necessarily the case for Twitter/X. Maybe it is now, but at first he was very much hands-on with that one, and you can tell by how erratic that purchase and handover was.

I really don't trust people who aren't here when it comes to what's happening on the ground. I've been out there. My neighbor was one of the people pulling bodies out of the mud. I know people who have been running free mobile veterinary clinics for people in the wrecked towns. I know people who are riding ATVs to get to people and their pets who can't get out. In fact, just yesterday some of them recovered the pets of the firefighter who died in the floodwaters (he kept a LOT of pets) and found foster homes for all of them. I've made donation runs with loads of donations in my Ranger. Yesterday I took food from a donation center out to a church to be distributed to people in that church's community. Today I put a 250gal tank in the bed of my Ranger and took clean water to apartment complexes that have no water for flushing their toilets or bathing.

You know what I've seen and experienced? The people on the ground, every single damn one of them, are amazing people. The sense of community here is amazing. Full stop.

 

[TJC]

Update; This report isn't from a politician. It is from front line workers

"Matt McSwain, co-founder of Operation Helo, based out of Hickory Regional Airport in western North Carolina, has been deploying helicopters into remote locations. He told CNN on Sunday that when Operation Helo launched following the heavy rains and floods “there was no military presence, there was no military help, there was no FEMA. There was nothing.” As of Sunday, more than a week later, there was “still no FEMA, still no military, still no nothing. We’re begging — this is day eight, nine now,” McSwain said."

400 private flights in 24 hours and pilots paying for their own fuel.
Content here

and

Here

Mayors daughter's home is flooded and unlivable. FEMA denied her the $750 and gave her $300. It didn't cover the groceries lost in her refrigerator.
Full story here

Franklin sheriff calls for county manager's resignation after she issues guidance for Helene reimbursements
Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White is calling on County Manager Kim Denton to resign, saying her request for reimbursement paperwork related to Helene relief is a roadblock for aid in western North Carolina.

"Bureaucracy often interrupts people's lives," White said in a Facebook post. "But it should never cost people their lives.”
Full Story here

 

[TJC]

A little wacky? Yes, he's very smart. But he's also very much out in lala land. He essentially has handlers that insulate his companies from his erratic behavior. Though as I understand it, that isn't necessarily the case for Twitter/X. Maybe it is now, but at first he was very much hands-on with that one, and you can tell by how erratic that purchase and handover was.

I really don't trust people who aren't here when it comes to what's happening on the ground. I've been out there. My neighbor was one of the people pulling bodies out of the mud. I know people who have been running free mobile veterinary clinics for people in the wrecked towns. I know people who are riding ATVs to get to people and their pets who can't get out. In fact, just yesterday some of them recovered the pets of the firefighter who died in the floodwaters (he kept a LOT of pets) and found foster homes for all of them. I've made donation runs with loads of donations in my Ranger. Yesterday I took food from a donation center out to a church to be distributed to people in that church's community. Today I put a 250gal tank in the bed of my Ranger and took clean water to apartment complexes that have no water for flushing their toilets or bathing.

You know what I've seen and experienced? The people on the ground, every single damn one of them, are amazing people. The sense of community here is amazing. Full stop.

I thank you for your help.

 

[mtbikernate]

I saw probably close to 2 dozen helos today. Combo of military and civilian. Saw quite a few military convoys on the roads, all with police escort.

Aircraft have been operating out of all sorts of locations. Just because he's operating out of Hickory (which is not really in an area significantly affected, but is close to it) doesn't mean anyone else would be. I know of groups who have been flying (or have flown) out of the Greenville, SC airport, Concord, NC airport, the Statesville, NC airport, the Asheville airport, and personally witnessed today helos flying out of a big grassy field next to the Harley Davidson dealership in Swannanoa. AFAIK, most of the military aircraft have been operating out of the Asheville airport as their centralized hub. Just about all the rest are various civilians.

I will reiterate that the initial payment is just that, an initial payment. It doesn't mean that person won't get more later. I didn't qualify for any of it, which also didn't cover the cost of the food I lost. If my power had been out for 24 more hours, the loss of food would have really hurt and I still wouldn't have qualified for any of it. The application covers some pretty specific circumstances. It is not the only source of government aid, either. And that's probably why it asks such specific questions.

And, you know what, people make mistakes sometimes. Does that mean we need to excoriate every last one of them when a disaster like this happens and the response is absolute chaos? I'm not even kidding about the chaos. I've been to several different locations where organization of efforts is happening and the people running those places are being pulled a million different directions at once. And sometimes, folks mess up. I don't think it's unreasonable to give the people here a bit of grace. Even when they make a mistake.

 

[TJC]

They are almost all private and flying out of any airport or field that is close. Hickory being just one.

 

[mtbikernate]

They are almost all private and flying out of any airport or field that is close. Hickory being just one.

My house is right in the flight path for the military chinooks that are heading north (presumably from the AVL airport). While yes, when it comes to numbers, the civilian aircraft outnumber the military ones, claiming the military "wasn't there" is disingenuous. They're present and they're running operations all the time. Are they going the same places that the civilian craft are? Sometimes yes, oftentimes I'd bet not. The big difference between them is how much smaller those civilian aircraft are. They can get into places those big chinooks simply cannot. But on a per-flight basis, they can't transport as much. And they certainly can't transport items as large as the chinooks can.

I've seen more military on the ground in smaller vehicles. A couple larger freight type vehicles, but mostly smaller stuff. I've not seen the locations where they're going, because I suspect they're going where people with their particular training are needed most. I have personally been doing different things than what they'd be most likely to be doing. They are still searching for people, but it's not a large-scale operation at the moment. The searches are now more targeted towards specific people/homes.

Last week, my neighborhood had a bit of a scare, and it's now an opportunity for my neighbors to give me a hard time. A black SUV full of US Marshals followed by a LAFD fire truck showed up at my house. I was out helping my wife clean up her veterinary clinic so she could open up and start helping people (mostly by filling prescriptions for important meds, and oftentimes originally prescribed at clinics that were demolished by the flooding). My neighbors ALL seemed to come out to see what was up. Of course, because of privacy, they wouldn't tell my neighbors much, except that someone from Indiana filed a missing persons report. This was one of the tens of thousands of checks they did. The vast majority of those missing persons reports was simply because communications were all down. No cellular. No internet. No landlines. I have a suspect of who it was, which is odd, because she has my phone number and could now reach out to me. So far, my neighbors have been joking that we didn't pay our taxes. I'm sure their jokes will get more creative as time goes on.

As for the county manager, maybe she's doing a bad job. Some people are clueless. My wife's boss is in Oklahoma and he is so far out of touch with what's going on. He's on thin ice himself. Does he deserve to be held accountable? Sure he does. Does he deserve to have his name used as a tool to describe the disaster response as a shitshow? No. To the people raging online about the disaster response, have they ever lived through a disaster response? This is not my first rodeo. It's certainly the worst I've lived through, but all disaster responses are chaotic and imperfect.

I will emphasize this point.

I have personally spoken to people from FL who left because of the storms there. I have personally spoken to people who lived through Katrina. They are all telling the same stories, that the response here is heartening and amazing, how much the communities here are coming together. And they DID NOT SEE THAT after the storms they have lived through previously in other places. Yes, the situation is hell. But the vast majority of people are getting what they need.

Those who have seen less response are largely folks who live in remote places with rugged terrain that makes it much harder to access them. This ain't flat Florida. Man I wish everybody could have received help instantly. I am sure this storm is going to be a learning opportunity for emergency response personnel just like how Katrina was (the incident response systems they're using here were developed after Katrina).

 

[Doc]

Tha

The links below still work - simply click on them to see the video,

I am happy that your coworkers have been given assistance. Is this $750 / person or family?

Please speak to these incidents... This first one I can excuse as accidental. The last few not so much. There are widespread reports of FEMA confiscating private supplies and donations from many aid groups. Esp in the first few days.

Quite frankly I am tired of the Fed Government and MSM constantly talking of Conspiracy Theories when they mishandle or abuse / take advantage of situations.

Let us talk of about a few specific instances.

A National Guard Chinook helicopter's low landing at a relief camp in Western North Carolina resulted in over $100,000 in damage, ripping apart tents, supplies, and vehicles, and sending three people to the hospital.

When confronted, the officer in charge gave a casual "oops" and no details, leaving only the helicopter's tail number.

Later, a public affairs officer stepped in to apologize and offer information for filing a complaint.


This incident can be chalked up to a poor decision / or accident.

This one my daughter is very much aware of and needs to be fully investigated.
My daughter is an honorable woman and is not prone to exaggeration.

Here is the short of it. The link above has more details and more tiktok links with videos.
FEMA showed up at the United Cajun Navy’s authorized relief location and demanded that they turn over all their aid to FEMA. They declined to do so. The FEMA reps left, Hours later 2 black SUVs with blue lights flashing drove slowly around their staging area and left. They did not stop or speak with anyone. The glass in the SUV was dark so no one could see inside the vehicles. A short time later a Black helicopter piloted by two black masked men flew in very low. dtopped and hovered over their prepared aid, allowing the prop wash to destroy their aid. Blew it all over the staging area /runway. There was no call numbers on the helicopter. Private Businesses / Pilots can't fly an aircraft without FAA registration call numbers. She thinks it was US Government destroying the aid. BTW, The UCN has coordinated flights running around the clock with the rest of those flying aid and operating in controlled airspace. Those smaller helicopters can go and land in places the US Military can't. These pilots are seasoned professionals.

Reports are coming in that this may have been a FEMA helicopter intentionally flying low over a volunteer supply drop zone in North Carolina because the volunteers refused to let FEMA confiscate their supplies.

UCN is registered with FEMA and authorized to do this work.
--------------------------------------------------
Elon Musk's Blood is boiling! His words not mine...
Elon Musk
@elonmusk
SpaceX engineers are trying to deliver Starlink terminals & supplies to devastated areas in North Carolina right now and @FEMA is both failing to help AND won’t let others help. This is unconscionable!!

They just took this video a few hours ago, where you can see the level of devastation: roads, houses, electricity, water supply and ground Internet connections completely destroyed.

@FEMA
wouldn’t let them land to deliver critical supplies … my blood is boiling …



------------------------------------------------

Truckers carrying private emergency supplies to Western NC stopped at these 3 Truck stops to gas up. Came out to find their tires slashed, not just one, ALL of them.

50 trucks at the TA Denmark Truck Stop

5 at Loves Holiday

16 at Loves Dixon

Now just supplying links to stories from the last few days

SpaceX Engineer In North Carolina Has Dire Warning: Biden-Harris' FEMA "Actively Blocking Shipments" For Relief

NC Lt Gov Mark Robinson has partnered with private jet owners and is currently flying supplies 24/7 to Hurricane Helene victims in Western North Carolina

Volunteer in North Carolina Says the Only Politician Helping Them Is Mark Robinson

Are all these accounts conspiracy theories?

That Sucks !

My house is right in the flight path for the military chinooks that are heading north (presumably from the AVL airport). While yes, when it comes to numbers, the civilian aircraft outnumber the military ones, claiming the military "isn't there" is disingenuous. They're present and they're running operations all the time. Are they going the same places that the civilian craft are? Sometimes yes, oftentimes I'd bet not. The big difference between them is how much smaller those civilian aircraft are. They can get into places those big chinooks simply cannot. But on a per-flight basis, they can't transport as much. And they certainly can't transport items as large as the chinooks can.

I've seen more military on the ground in smaller vehicles. A couple larger freight type vehicles, but mostly smaller stuff. I've not seen the locations where they're going, because I suspect they're going where people with their particular training are needed most. I have personally been doing different things than what they'd be most likely to be doing. They are still searching for people, but it's not a large-scale operation at the moment. The searches are now more targeted towards specific people/homes.

Last week, my neighborhood had a bit of a scare, and it's now an opportunity for my neighbors to give me a hard time. A black SUV full of US Marshals followed by a LAFD fire truck showed up at my house. I was out helping my wife clean up her veterinary clinic so she could open up and start helping people (mostly by filling prescriptions for important meds, and oftentimes originally prescribed at clinics that were demolished by the flooding). My neighbors ALL seemed to come out to see what was up. Of course, because of privacy, they wouldn't tell my neighbors much, except that someone from Indiana filed a missing persons report. This was one of the tens of thousands of checks they did. The vast majority of those missing persons reports was simply because communications were all down. No cellular. No internet. No landlines. I have a suspect of who it was, which is odd, because she has my phone number and could now reach out to me. So far, my neighbors have been joking that we didn't pay our taxes. I'm sure their jokes will get more creative as time goes on.

As for the county manager, maybe she's doing a bad job. Some people are clueless. My wife's boss is in Oklahoma and he is so far out of touch with what's going on. He's on thin ice himself. Does he deserve to be held accountable? Sure he does. Does he deserve to have his name used as a tool to describe the disaster response as a shitshow? No. To the people raging online about the disaster response, have they ever lived through a disaster response? This is not my first rodeo. It's certainly the worst I've lived through, but all disaster responses are chaotic and imperfect.

I will emphasize this point.

I have personally spoken to people from FL who left because of the storms there. I have personally spoken to people who lived through Katrina. They are all telling the same stories, that the response here is heartening and amazing, how much the communities here are coming together. And they DID NOT SEE THAT after the storms they have lived through previously in other places. Yes, the situation is hell. But the vast majority of people are getting what they need.

Those who have seen less response are largely folks who live in remote places with rugged terrain that makes it much harder to access them. This ain't flat Florida. Man I wish everybody could have received help instantly. I am sure this storm is going to be a learning opportunity for emergency response personnel just like how Katrina was (the incident response systems they're using here were developed after Katrina).

Good Write !

 

[TJC]

You need to correct your statement.

"While yes, when it comes to numbers, the civilian aircraft outnumber the military ones, claiming the military "isn't there" is disingenuous."

To the military "wasn't there"

 

[mtbikernate]

You need to correct your statement.

"While yes, when it comes to numbers, the civilian aircraft outnumber the military ones, claiming the military "isn't there" is disingenuous."

To the military "wasn't there"

is it a problem that they took longer to arrive than a guy who lives closer? and is also a smaller operation and better able to be more agile to changing needs?

Honestly nobody expected this to be a 1:1,000yr flood event (as it was in the Asheville area) or a 1:5,000yr flood event (as it was along the N. Toe River and the Nolichucky). People have long thought that Western NC was a "climate haven" because we "don't get blizzards, don't get tornadoes, and don't get hurricanes". That impression goes back more than a century and it was shattered 2 weeks ago.

You want to know what bothers me the most? The delay in the state getting water shipped in. The county requested it before Helene actually hit and it took days to get here afterwards. Days that people had zero water. Yes, there was a landslide partially blocking I-40 east of town, but it was cleared enough to allow emergency vehicles through within a day or so. And it was fully cleared in less than a week. But so far I have heard no explanation for why that water took so long to arrive.

 

[TJC]

I agree with everything except your first sentence. FEMA's mission is to prepare and preposition assets when they see an event shaping up. Coordination with Nat'l Guard, US Military, State and Local Government is Job #1.

They were not prepared at all.

They should have moved in within 12 hours. They did not do their jobs, and demanded those who stepped into the vacuum to save lives to STOP. The Gov of NC should have signed off on NG and Military use before the storm even hit the area! They knew with a great deal of certainty where storm was going and what the worst case outcome would be.

The did nothing for over a week.

Sorry, but I can't cut FEMA (The Federal Gov) or the State Gov any slack.

 

[Fordup]

@Doc Hopefully you made it through the storm with no major problems.

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