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i have been getting or 5 of these FEMA updates a day on Georges (did they skip Francois?). I am just forwarding this one on in case anyone is interested. This is an example of a well run bureuaracy at work. Theoir job is to coordinate all the efforts of all the many outfits whcih participate - from the Salvation Army ( GREAAT bunch of people) to the Army Corps of Engineers. Makes you proud. a comment at the end........ -----Original Message----- From: Emergency Information Media Affairs <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Friday, September 25, 1998 11:20 PM Subject: Hurricane Georges Heads Towards Gulf States > Hurricane Georges Marches Towards Gulf States; > FEMA Puerto Rican Recovery Effort Intensifies > >Washington September 25, 1998, 7:00 p.m. EDT - A strengthening Hurricane >Georges battered the Florida Keys today - and prompted a federal emergency >declaration for the state - and continues to threaten the Florida >Panhandle and other Gulf Coast states. The Federal Emergency Management >Agency (FEMA) is working closely with Florida and other potentially >affected states, while also gearing up a significant recovery operation in >Puerto Rico. > > FEMA's Region 4, which covers states along the Gulf Coast, is evaluating >staffing options for Disaster Field Offices in several states and Rapid >Needs Assessment Teams are prepared for deployment if necessary. Florida, >Mississippi and Alabama have all initiated state Emergency Operation >Centers. > > "FEMA is prepared to handle Hurricane Georges, even if we must operate in >several theaters of operation," said FEMA Director James Lee Witt. "We >have many staff who are hurricane veterans and we are ready to apply their >experience in those states affected by the storm." > > On Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where federal disaster >declarations were made yesterday, clean-up and recovery continues. About >614 federal personnel are deployed, activated or on alert for this >situation. According to the American Red Cross, as many as 10,000 >dwellings were destroyed by Hurricane Georges and 15,000 suffered major >damage. At this time, the government is operating 389 shelters housing >22,000 people. Puerto Rico power officials expect half the island will see >power restored by Sunday. Agricultural losses appear to be extreme, with >at least 70 percent of the coffee crop and 80 to 90 percent of the >plantain crop destroyed. > > Highlights of the federal response: > >Puerto Rico residents and business owners with hurricane-related damage >can begin the disaster application process by calling 1-800-462-9029 or >1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. Jose Bravo, >Puerto Rico's federal coordinating officer, is asking that residents with >minor damage wait a few days before calling to allow those with more >serious damage to be served first. > >FEMA disaster medical teams and search and rescue teams are prepared for >deployment to Florida; one urban search and rescue team has been >pre-deployed to Miami and plans have been formulated for theaters of >operation both in the Keys and the Florida Panhandle. Urban Search and >Rescue teams from Virginia, Maryland and Tennessee remain on alert. > >There are 276 shelters open in Florida with a population of 12,613. The >American Red Cross has deployed 84 mass care workers and administrative >support personnel to Florida and supply warehouses in Georgia, Texas, >Indiana and Pennsylvania have been placed on alert. The Salvation Army and >the Southern Baptist Convention have feeding stations and mobile kitchens >throughout the state. > >The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has three Planning Response Teams on >standby in Jacksonville, Florida, to provide emergency ice, water and >power as needed after Georges makes landfall. > >A Mobile Air Transportable Telecommunications van and nine staff members, >and Mobile Emergency Response System teams have been deployed to support >Florida recovery. > >Disaster Medical Assistance Teams have been deployed to Jacksonville and >are on alert for future deployment. > >The U.S. Coast Guard has evacuated their Miami Command Center and >established a Crisis Action Center in Miami to coordinate disaster >response. > >One U.S. Forest Service Incident Management Team and support personnel >have been deployed to Jacksonville's Naval Air Station mobilization >center. > >The U.S. Department of Agriculture is inventorying available food stores >in Florida and Alabama. > >FEMA has posted radio public service announcements in both Spanish and >English on subjects related to preparing for and recovering from >hurricanes. The announcements can be obtained through the FEMA Radio >Network, at 1-800-323-5248. > >Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) >Office of Emergency Information & Media Affairs --- Washington, D.C. > >Information Available 24 hours a day . . . > ... on the World Wide Web: http://www.fema.gov > ... FEMA is also co-sponsor of Storm98: http://www.storm98.com > ... via fax-on-demand: phone in the U.S.A. (202) 646-FEMA (646-3362) > ... via digital audio for broadcasters & print: contact [log in to unmask] > and listen to the FEMA Radio Network on the FEMA Website using RealAudio I only worked for them for three disasters. They are still looking for 50 Housing Inspectors for PR. If anyone out there still has a sense of balance (no roofs, but you have to go down basements) and is interested i could steer you in the right direction. They prefer older inspectors, much like Home Depot's clerks. You don'' need.to know as much as a Home Depot clerk, tho. It is a lucrative part-time job. i inspected 660 homes in 10 weeks at $30 a home. E-mail me & i'll tell you more. They hire woman, obviously.