This article is from: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/weather/04/25/mississippi.tornado/index.html?hpt=T2
On Sunday in Yazoo City, Mississippi, three children of the victims of a tornado were tore through central Mississippi. Two sisters of age 9 and 14 were killed inside a mobile home and separately, a 3 month old baby died from the twister. The tornado was almost a mile wide and it sadly killed at least 10 people and destroyed neighborhoods and families.
"The hardest-hit counties were Yazoo and Choctaw, Mississippi, where assessment and rescue crews continued operations Sunday."
"Outside of those two counties, authorities had recorded at least 188 homes destroyed and 33 injuries, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)."
After the mass devastation, nearly 80 Mississippi National Guard troops including the 50 military police had been deployed to Choctaw and Yazoo counties.
"'You could just feel the glass and debris flying in and cutting you, said Stacy Walker, who took cover in a hair salon in Yazoo City where she worked. "It felt like minutes and minutes but I'm sure it was just seconds the time that it lasted.'"
What other ways do you think the government should provide to the victims of the tornado in order to help them back on track?
Sunday, April 25, 2010
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8 comments:
Well I think that the government should do as much as it can for them, but don't people in that region have tornado insurance?
Or am I making that up?
Its impossible to imagine having disastors like this happening to us, since we are lucky enough to never have to deal with this extreme weather.
According to this article on CNN (http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/05/pf/saving/toptips/index.htm), homeowner's insurance covers "wind events," which includes tornados. So, most people with homeowner's insurance are automatically covered in the case of a tornado. However, in the immediate aftermath of a tornado, the fact that people have insurance is almost irrelevant. They need emergency housing, water, and food. I think this is where the government needs to step in. I think the rebuilding process can (mostly) be left to the individuals since most have insurance.
With the technology we have today, you would expect a longer period of warning. It seems like this tornado hit without everyone knowing about it.
In an economic downturn, it would be difficult for the government to compensate the victims. Even though there were "80 Mississippi National Guard troops including the 50 military police" that had been deployed, I think there should be donations.
Over the past century, we have seen the government in a different light. We, Americans, depend on the government as if it is our "Godfather." In the 19th century, farmers had no "wind" insurance or any government insurance. If there was a natural disaster, farmers lost capital and it was as simple as that.
Now that we are in the 21st century, I think we need to find ways in which we can depend less on the government and live based off of the context of life rather than living based off of the structural environment.
Well since the Great Depression, the American people have depended on the federal government to get them out of sticky situations. Homeowners insurance exists, and for reasons like this one. But realistically, what more can they do? It's called a "natural disaster" for a reason, it's a disaster. And it's inevitable so.. that's what insurance is for. As for immediate care, I completely agree with Sarah. Victims need water, shelter, and food almost immediately, but I think providing/arranging/organizing might be more on the state/local government side.
I completely agree that the basic steps that the government must provide is shelter, food and water but I aso believe that there are ways the government must help after the necessities are taken care of.
Though I agree with Yoda that the people should rely less on the government, it is a natural disaster and no one could have prevented the disaster from occuring. Therefore I believe there should be steps and a place that someone could help these people get their lives back together. I mean they lost everything. I think it is the government's duty to provide not just physical support but emotional and mental support for these people.
The necessities will only help them for so long, eventually they will realize the reality of the situation and will need some direction to living life normally again. I think it is the government's duty to help with this process.
I agree that the government should help with emergency housing and supplies and such, but I mean there is really only so much they can do. I agree with Ellery, I feel like most places where tornadoes usually happen they should be prepared for it. I know my family who lives out there has a set plan for what to do when a tornado is coming, just as we do in terms of earthquakes. I couldn't imagine living in a place where you would constantly need to worry about tornadoes or hurricanes. How could people continue to rebuild their homes like that? Maybe earthquakes aren't so bad after all in comparison to what other parts of the country have to deal with.
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