FEMA Sending Trailers to Victims; Occupy Sandy Asking Amazon to Waive Shipping Fees

[antiquie]

By: Phoenix Woman Saturday November 10, 2012 6:18 pm

Some good news out of FEMA last week concerning the assistance being given to victims of Hurricane Sandy: “FEMA chief Craig Fugate says his agency has several hundred temporary homes in its inventory and has started moving them toward the most heavily damaged areas in those states.”

Meanwhile, Occupy Sandy is petitioning Amazon to waive the shipping charges for goods and services ordered for Sandy’s victims via the Occupy Sandy registries (for NYC and NJ) on Amazon. Over $400,000 worth of supplies have been ordered via these registries, and more could be in the pipeline if shipping costs didn’t eat up so much money. And the New York Times has joined the Daily News as a formerly-adversarial reporter of Occupy activities that has been won over by Occupy’s swift and effective response to the Sandy aftermath.

http://my.firedoglake.com/phoenix/2012/11/10/sandy-update-fema-sending-trailers-to-victims-occupy-sandy-asking-amazon-to-waive-shipping-fees-for-occupy-sandy-registry-orders/

Firedoglake is sending blankets to Victims of Hurricane Sandy, you can donate there. The Firedoglake Supply fund is a volunteer project of the Firedoglake Membership program.

[HockeyMom]

1. How do they HEAT these trailers?

This is not NOLA in the middle of the Summer. A lot of places still don't even have power back. They going to bring in generators for the trailers for heat?

[antiquie]

2. I hope so

but an enclosed place is better than no place -- unless it's toxic like the NO's trailers.

[bluedigger]

3. The trailers have heaters in them.

And will be hooked up to the grid. They will probably set them up in "FEMA camps" like they did after Katrina, or possibly let homeowners set up on site while they rebuild. Neither solution is great, but options seem limited. They probably will be drafty, but people did live in them in the winter after Katrina - some for several years. I guess homeowners without electricity go to motels.

[antiquie]

4. Thank you, very glad to hear that.

I am grateful Occupy is helping see the really needy aren't forgotten; also it is good that this FEMA is doing a bit better than the last one.


edit: typo

[bluedigger]

5. They're trying.

Every disaster is unique and has it's own challenges. Occupy is great because they are able to adapt and respond to things quicker than Red Cross and FEMA sometimes can. There are roles for each.

As for toxic trailers, the formaldehyde problem was from FEMA ordering so many trailers on short notice from manufacturers. I think they now have a stock on hand that have properly vented the fumes, although people will argue that. People are impatient for action, but it takes time to deliver the trailers, prepare sites for them, and identify needs/occupants. I think things are progressing well, overall.