Anatomy of a Disaster

I think that the blame game should be broken out by time.

Every family in America has a responsibility to have three days of water, food, and medicine in a disaster kit. Expecting aid within 72 hours of a disaster is not reasonable. Adults should also have basic first aid training and supplies. Additionally, those who could leave but chose to ignore the evacuation order are not only responsible for themselves, but for hindering the aid to those (elderly, homeless, infirm) who could not leave.

The next level of responsibility goes to the local government, who has the most direct knowledge of community needs and should have the assets available for another 2 or 3 days of water and food available and onsite. When a disaster hits like this against many communities at once, the failure of a community to prepare should not make them eligible to be at the front of the line for aid.

The State Government with more assets and a wider area to draw them and store them should be the next layer to move in. Again, 2-3 days of supplies should be available.

After a week, people should expect direct support from outside the state, and from the federal government. Anybody who has ever worked in logistics knows that this is an icredibly short timeline to send out and distribute such vast amounts of stuff. Expecting more than that is what leads people to fail to plan and provide for themselves.

How many readers have the emergency kit ready in the house, and a smaller one in the car, so that they will not be part of the problem should disaster strike? Probably wouldn't hurt to have some metal in the kit too...Steel and Lead, so the bozos who don't prepare don't come and get your stuff.