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23 Sep 2011 07:52

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Politics: House passes shutdown-averting spending bill … with a catch

  • yeah … The House passed a bill preventing a possible government shutdown, and in the process paying for emergency management funding for the recent spate of natural disasters (like the Joplin tornado and Hurricane Irene). As recently as Wednesday, it didn’t look like it would pass. So what happened?
  • … but Well, the bill includes a politically-charged measure removing funding for green energy projects, like the much-maligned Solyndra debacle. It literally seems like they passed it only because House Republicans could score points off of this. As a result, it likely will not pass the Senate in its current form. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Aug 2011 09:57

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U.S.: Hurricane Irene, Joplin tornado run into wall of tightly-funded political reality

  • Any projects that have not come in for approval, we’re not going to be able to fund those as this point. We’re going to postpone those. Our goal is to keep this disruption as short as possible, but it was prudent.
  • FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate • Describing the reasons that FEMA is putting their long-term work to repair Joplin, Mo. on hold, and instead putting that money towards Hurricane Irene. Another issue arising in the Hurricane Irene situation? They might run into yet another wall of House Republican suck. That’s because House Majority Leader Eric Cantor makes no guarantees about funding Irene cleanup unless there are budget cuts to match, which is a real jerk move which shows how out-of-touch with reality that the GOP is. Now, granted, Ron Paul pitches ideas like these all the time. But when the GOP leadership continues to do so without regard to the current situation at hand, it makes you you want to vote all the bums out en masse next year. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Aug 2011 21:21

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U.S.: “Project First Day” sews girls from Joplin a little emotional pick-me-up

  • I wanted to make a lot of little girls feel like princesses on that first day of school.
  • Susan Stewart, a teacher in Joplin, Missouri • Discussing her efforts to give young students an emotional boost. Students are back in school after Joplin was hit with devastating tornadoes and storms back in May. Stewart created “Project First Day,” which helped create over 1,400 new dresses for girls on their first day of school. Members of the project sewed from across the country to help out a devastated town.  source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 May 2011 18:31

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U.S.: Joplin tornado death toll numbers get murky, confusing

  • 156 people reported missing in the Joplin tornado, down from 232
  • 90 people formerly on the list were found alive, which is a relief
  • 22 more, however, were added to the list in the past day source
  • » And this is where the numbers really get confusing: With two different organizations — the state of Missouri and the city of Joplin — reporting two different official death toll figures (126 and 132, respectively), and around 19 of the missing identified as victims on the list of those accounted for, you’d be forgiven for being a bit confused by all these numbers. Let’s simplify it for you: It was a lot of people, and those still alive have a lot to recover from.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 May 2011 09:30

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U.S.: Hundreds still unaccounted for after Joplin tornado: Where are they?

  • Our goal is to get that number to zero. We will dedicate as much state resources as needed around the clock to ensure those family who have loved ones that they cannot find are connected.
  • Missouri Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Andrea Spillars • Describing the group’s goal to whittle down the list of 232 missing people in Joplin — some of whom are amongst the 126 killed in Sunday’s storm, but perhaps haven’t been identified. Others may remain missing, but others still may have skipped town without informing friend and relatives of their departure. Let’s hope it’s the latter. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 May 2011 11:19

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U.S.: Woman dies after finding out about her dad’s death in Joplin tornado

  • Another crushingly sad tale from the Joplin storm: After a 54-year-old woman found out on Tuesday that her father died in Sunday’s incredibly tragic tornado in the Missouri town, she had a heart attack and later died. The woman, a schoolteacher, lived in a nearby town and attended church in the city of 50,000. Despite the fact that she wasn’t killed in the storm itself, the coroner says that they will consider her death a storm-related casualty. Such a gut punch. Officials in the city plan to continue searching for those missing, combing over areas they’ve covered as many as three times already — all in the hopes of finding a survivor in the rubble. Hold out hope. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 May 2011 14:54

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U.S.: More storms expected in devastated Joplin, Missouri

  • Scenes from Joplin, and fears of further storms: The death toll in Joplin continued to grimly creep upwards today, with 117 now confirmed dead, and relief and rescue services still faced with such a job that you should probably brace for that number to change again. To make matters worse, the NOAA has issued warnings of severe storms the next few days across a broad swath of the American heartland, with Joplin lying in the highest risk zone. Please do everything possible to stay safe, everybody. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

24 May 2011 10:27

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U.S.: In perspective: The possible costs of 2011’s U.S. natural disasters

  • $3B the estimated peak cost of the Joplin tornado, which hit on Sunday
  • $5B the estimated costs of the storms that slammed the South in April
  • $2.2B the estimated costs of the deliberate flooding on the Mississippi source
  • » A particularly deadly year for natural disasters: Before April, the weather was relatively calm, but then strong storms in the South and Plains states — complete with tornadoes and flooding — started hitting fast and furious. And with 482 killed by this year’s storms already, it’s been a year filled with heartbreak already.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 May 2011 22:28

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U.S.: Joplin tornado: Some good news within the death and destruction

  • positive As recovery efforts continue after last night’s devastating tornado, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says that 17 people have been pulled out of the rubble in Joplin — alive. The death toll is still the deadliest since accurate tornado records were kept starting in the 1950s.
  • negative Unfortunately, the death toll will likely continue to rise. “Clearly, it’s on its way up,” Nixon says. Worse, the National Weather Service says the odds are 45% of another tornado outbreak over a wide swath of the Plains states. Including Joplin. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 May 2011 10:19

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U.S.: Joplin tornado: Warning sirens not enough with storm this huge

  • At the moment it’s surreal, our landmarks are gone — road signs, places where you know to turn — we’re doing search and rescue, going house to house on that six mile strip.
  • Joplin emergency management director Keith Stammer • Describing the situation in his town this morning. While he notes that all of the alarms went off and gave 20-minute notice of the quickly-approaching storm, it clearly wasn’t enough to protect people from a supremely devastating tornado. It was one of 47 that the storm system produced in the region yesterday — and by far the worst. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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