Relief

A downgraded yet devastating Irene storm left 21 dead, disrupted power in 6 million homes and businesses and caused damages worth billions of dollars across the East Coast before crossing into Canada late Sunday, which set off cleanup and repair efforts that could go on for weeks.

Hurricane Irene was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone as it was heading toward Canada on Sunday night, but it had already killed at least 21 people across the United States, according to CNN.

Six of the deaths were reported in North Carolina; four each in Virginia and Pennsylvania; two in New York; and one each in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and Florida. Authorities are trying to determine whether an additional death reported in New York is connected to the storm, in which case the toll will increase to 22. more >>

The role of the government in disaster relief is the topic of much discussion as Hurricane Irene, now Tropical Storm Irene, pummels New England.

Inevitable comparisons are being drawn to Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans and surrounding areas in 2005. The response from government during and after that catastrophe was widely seen as inadequate, ineffective and incompetent. President George W. Bush, especially, was widely criticized at the time for not getting more personally involved in leading the response effort.

“If you look at the polling from 2005, President Bush's approval rating dropped 4 or 5 points after Katrina, and he never recovered those 4 or 5 points,” noted Ron Brownstein of the National Journal on ABC's “This Week.” more >>

Republican presidential candidate and Texas congressman Ron Paul thinks the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has done more harm than good. Paul made his opinion clear in an interview on Fox News Sunday as FEMA works to aid the disaster relief efforts from Hurricane Irene, now downgraded to a tropical storm.

Paul is libertarian. As such, he sees a smaller role for government, especially the federal government, in directing emergency response efforts.

On Friday, Paul criticized FEMA in an interview, saying, “FEMA is not a good friend of most people in Texas, because all they do is come in and tell you what to do and can't do, you can't get in your houses, and they hinder the local people and they hinder volunteers from going in, so there's no magic about FEMA.” more >>

Cell phone users on the east coast may be left without service in the midst of hurricane Irene, which hit land in North Carolina on Saturday and is heading steadily northward.

Carriers are also concerned, as it could be the second time in less than a week that cell phone service might be interrupted due to extreme weather.

The 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Virginia earlier this week sent tremors as far as New York and Toronto and left many unable to make calls for hours due to a flood of calls jamming networks. There is concern that a similar incident will happen in the wake of the hurricane, which is also expected to affect much of the east coast. more >>

The Christian Emergency Network (CEN) has urged people along the East Coast to leave their homes and churches as soon as possible.

“A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it…‘Proverbs 22:3 NIV',” stated the alert released by CEN.

The Christian Post talked to Misti McHatton, communications director of CEN, who said the organization offered Christian responses to natural disasters. more >>

Several counties in North Carolina have been busy preparing for hurricane Irene, which is in the direct path of the southeastern state.

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue issued a state of emergency Wednesday night for counties east of I-95. She has also requested a pre-landfall emergency declaration from President Barack Obama to ensure that the state will be provided with federal assistance in conjunction with relief efforts.

“Hurricane Irene poses a significant threat to our state and we need to take appropriate action to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors, along with property and infrastructure along our coast,” she told the Gaston Gazette. more >>