No more ice for hurricane victims, govt says

[Auburn85 436]

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - U.S. hurricane victims will have to find another way to cool their drinks.

The U.S. disaster agency will no longer hand out ice to people in storm-ravaged areas, its top official said on Wednesday.

"It's not a life-saving commodity," David Paulison, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando.

Hundreds of people routinely line up for bottled water and ice dispensed from the back of tractor trailer trucks in the days following a hurricane or other major disaster.

The sight of convoys of the trucks carrying tons of ice and other supplies into disaster zones has become commonplace and emergency managers are frequently criticized if the trucks don't show up quickly.

But in recent years, disaster managers have been debating the wisdom of certain kinds of aid because it seems to create dependency.

Officials tell Americans they must be prepared to fend for themselves in a disaster and to have at least three days worth of food, water and other supplies on hand during hurricane season.

But when Hurricane Wilma hit south Florida in 2005, thousands of people clamored for emergency bottled water from federal officials even though tap water was still flowing and safe to drink.

"That was an embarrassment to me," said Paulison, a former disaster manager in Miami.

Only those with specific medical needs will be able to get ice from FEMA, he said.

"I don't know how FEMA got into the ice business," he said. "It should not have been in the ice business."

http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articl...239987120080402

[arnaldoabru 11]

Why should we even give them water? After a hurricane there should be plenty of water just lying around in puddles.I remember after Katrina people riding around New Orleans in john boats.Get a cup and dip it.How hard is that.

[pensacola tiger 0]

Usually I agree that people should take care of themselves. And I do agree that they should have water and food for at least three days. It's kind of sickening to see people who could very easily have stockpiled supplies standing in line for something free. Heck, when hurricane season starts I start saving gallon milk jugs and other such containers to fill with water if it appears I might need it. So I never would need their water. But here's the thing, without power you can't store ice and when it's hot and humid as hell and there's no power for a/c or even fans a nice cool drink sure is refreshing. And a little ice to keep the mayo from spoiling is a good think when you have to live off sandwiches for days on end. Been there, done that. So I hope they reconsider the ice thing.

[CCTAU 3,482]

Usually I agree that people should take care of themselves. And I do agree that they should have water and food for at least three days. It's kind of sickening to see people who could very easily have stockpiled supplies standing in line for something free. Heck, when hurricane season starts I start saving gallon milk jugs and other such containers to fill with water if it appears I might need it. So I never would need their water. But here's the thing, without power you can't store ice and when it's hot and humid as hell and there's no power for a/c or even fans a nice cool drink sure is refreshing. And a little ice to keep the mayo from spoiling is a good think when you have to live off sandwiches for days on end. Been there, done that. So I hope they reconsider the ice thing.

Get a generator. And stock up on fuel. Pep Boys usually has a 3500 watt genny for around $300. It puts out 25 amps and will run a freezer. It only weighs 100 lbs dry. If I lived in an area that was prone to hurricanes, I would already have one. When the masses are looking for help, the ones who stay out of the fray usually do a better job surviving. You could get a bigger genny for not much more. Then you could run the freezer and a small A/C in a window to sleep with at night. Relying on the government for anything is a crap-shoot. Katrina's aftermath caused a lot of folks already relying on the government to have to rely it even more. It was a double whammy.

But ice is not a necessity. It is a nicety. If the water is flowing cleanly, then there is no need for bottled water either. And guess what Arnie, they won't even have to drink from the puddles.

[pensacola tiger 0]

In theory I agree with you CCTAU. And I have considered getting a generator for just that purpose. But the cost is more than you quoted and then I'd have to buy the A/C and the freezer (assuming I was running a freezer and not my fridge) also. And then I'd have to store them in the bedroom I guess because I don't have storage space for large items like that. But you are correct, the choice is mine. But there are a whole lot of people for whom $300 for a generator and another maybe $200 for an A/C are just never going to be there. And these are working people who are doing the best they can. I do disagree with you that ice is a nicety. If you've never lived for several days to a week or more without anything to cool your drinks or meds in 90+ degrees with 90+ humidity and doing backbreaking work to get your property cleaned as well as that of your neighbors you really don't know what it's like. As to the water, you're correct, if clean water is running then all is well there. But quite often it's not clean. And not running. After Ivan we had to go to the bayou and fill a 50 gallon drum just to be able to bring it back to flush after the tubs we had filled for that purpose had been emptied. But if you plan ahead, fill the tubs and fill jugs for drinking you can get by that way for a while. The two things you can't plan for are ice and gas in the amouints needed to run a generator and have some to drive to absolutely necessary places. Once the gas is gone there isn't any because the trucks can't get in and even if they could the pumps don't work because of the electricity. Unless a person has lived through a truly devasting storm they really don't understand. I didn't until Ivan. I do now. You truely can't imagine what it's like. So I repeat, I hope that FEMA rethinks the ice issue.

[CCTAU 3,482]

In theory I agree with you CCTAU. And I have considered getting a generator for just that purpose. But the cost is more than you quoted and then I'd have to buy the A/C and the freezer (assuming I was running a freezer and not my fridge) also. And then I'd have to store them in the bedroom I guess because I don't have storage space for large items like that. But you are correct, the choice is mine. But there are a whole lot of people for whom $300 for a generator and another maybe $200 for an A/C are just never going to be there. And these are working people who are doing the best they can. I do disagree with you that ice is a nicety. If you've never lived for several days to a week or more without anything to cool your drinks or meds in 90+ degrees with 90+ humidity and doing backbreaking work to get your property cleaned as well as that of your neighbors you really don't know what it's like. As to the water, you're correct, if clean water is running then all is well there. But quite often it's not clean. And not running. After Ivan we had to go to the bayou and fill a 50 gallon drum just to be able to bring it back to flush after the tubs we had filled for that purpose had been emptied. But if you plan ahead, fill the tubs and fill jugs for drinking you can get by that way for a while. The two things you can't plan for are ice and gas in the amouints needed to run a generator and have some to drive to absolutely necessary places. Once the gas is gone there isn't any because the trucks can't get in and even if they could the pumps don't work because of the electricity. Unless a person has lived through a truly devasting storm they really don't understand. I didn't until Ivan. I do now. You truely can't imagine what it's like. So I repeat, I hope that FEMA rethinks the ice issue.

You have to find the things on sale and buy them in the off-season. I find 5000 btu window units at yard sales all the time for $20. It only has to cool one small room. And the small gen is only the size of a 27in TV box. I would think your biggest issue would be the storage of the gasoline. But you don't have to run the genset all day. The fridge/freezer only needs it about every four hours. And then if you run the genset at night for the A/C, it would run both and keep the fridge cold too. The genset I have runs about 12 hours on one tank (4 gals). I realize that things cost money. But if you live in an area that these things are prone to happen, shouldn't you invest some of your money on preparedness? Too many folks just forget about it until it happens. Then they look to the government. You sound like you try to prepare as best you can. But sometimes it takes more. I was just trying to give you some ideas that might get you through easier. Items like gensets and A/Cs are cheaper now than they have EVER been. It may be your fault that these things keep happening. I mean, if you buy a generator now, then odds are you'll never have to use it.

You could save a lot of people.

[pensacola tiger 0]

Heck, everything else that happens is my fault. Hurricanes probably are too. And I realize that you are rtying to be helpful to me. My kids and I get along all right as compared to many others because we have the option of hauling a$$ to Alabama for relief if we have to. I was just trying to make the point that there are truly hardworking people who don't have the extra cash,ever, to buy all the stuff you need to get by after one of those things. So they get their water and some food stored and ready. And they spend a fortune on batteries to keep the radio and a lantern or two going and do the best they can. And a bag of ice a day, which is all you can get from a truck by the way, goes a long way toward making life bearable.

[LegalEagle 22]

Heck, everything else that happens is my fault. Hurricanes probably are too. And I realize that you are rtying to be helpful to me. My kids and I get along all right as compared to many others because we have the option of hauling a$$ to Alabama for relief if we have to. I was just trying to make the point that there are truly hardworking people who don't have the extra cash,ever, to buy all the stuff you need to get by after one of those things. So they get their water and some food stored and ready. And they spend a fortune on batteries to keep the radio and a lantern or two going and do the best they can. And a bag of ice a day, which is all you can get from a truck by the way, goes a long way toward making life bearable.

If they're not rich, it's their own dumb fault, isn't it? Especially with the lower capital gains rates?