With the recent hurricanes in the South, Mother Nature has shown her wrath to an extent that has overwhelmed many in this country. Let's not forget, however, that Wisconsin has also recently been the victim of such forces of nature.
A record of 27 tornadoes struck the state in one day this August, including an F3 tornado that touched down in Dane County and obliterated everything in its 17-mile-long path. Two lives have been claimed, 22 have been injured and hundreds of homes have been completely destroyed. Entire neighborhoods are in states of disarray and people all over the state have been affected by the devastation the tornadoes brought.
Despite qualifying for federal help, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Friday that Wisconsin would not be receiving federal funds to help rebuild the destruction brought by the tornadoes that hit the Stoughton area on August 15. FEMA, which has been working on the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, is noticeably strained at this point in time. Even though the tornadoes hit before the hurricanes, FEMA had been sitting on the request for help and failed to make a decision until after both hurricanes had hit. They have refused to call Dane, Richland and Vernon counties disaster areas, which would allow for more federal aid.
This has put FEMA in a tough position.
By deciding not to help the victims of the largest string of tornadoes in Wisconsin history — damaging over 400 homes and destroying 67 — FEMA has chosen the victims of one disaster over the victims of another. The victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita are in dire need of assistance. Their homes and businesses have been destroyed, their cities are flooding and hundreds of people have died. This does not mean that victims of a comparatively less dramatic natural disaster don't need assistance also. There is no way to fairly compare one calamity to another.
Gov. Jim Doyle has pledged to appeal the decision made by FEMA and there have been statements made by U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, and U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl that indicate the fight is not over yet. Baldwin was more pointed in her comments, saying in a release, "This is another disturbing example of this administration failing to effectively respond to the needs of Americans following a disaster."
Residents of the affected areas have been waiting for over a month for an answer from FEMA. They have been asked to put their lives on hold to await help that isn't going to come unless Gov. Doyle, with the help of our congressional delegation, wins the appeal.
Businesses and families in the affected areas need help. It is unfair to deny it simply because other people need help as well. There must be a mechanism in place to assure that areas that require and deserve federal help receive it.
Unfortunately, August and September have been two months of realizing how inept the federal government is at dealing with emergencies like the ones we have just seen. Some people have said this is what happens when a red state and a blue state face disasters at the same time. Hopefully politics does not play a part in aiding Americans after a devastating occurrence and this is merely a general lack of preparedness that can be fixed in the future. In the meantime though, it's time the government recognizes Wisconsin needs its help and that it's time to act.
Julie Isen ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science.
