rosie wrote:

> There are shelters that have been set up, including the Super Dome,
> which as I understand has a few leaks. Cities that have the money to
> build these huge places for games, hopefully have ways to protect those
> who cannot help them selves. Personally, I do not feel it is the
> governments place to take care of us.


The government obviously thinks differently, Rosie:

http://www.fema.gov/

FEMA History

"Helping People Before, During, And After Disasters"

[excerpts]

The Federal Emergency Management Agency - a former independent agency that
became part of the new Department of Homeland Security in March 2003 - is
tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating
against disasters. FEMA can trace its beginnings to the Congressional Act of
1803. This act, generally considered the first piece of disaster
legislation, provided assistance to a New Hampshire town following an
extensive fire. In the century that followed, ad hoc legislation was passed
more than 100 times in response to hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and other
natural disasters.

By the 1930s, when the federal approach to problems became popular, the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation was given authority to make disaster
loans for repair and reconstruction of certain public facilities following
an earthquake, and later, other types of disasters. In 1934, the Bureau of
Public Roads was given authority to provide funding for highways and bridges
damaged by natural disasters. The Flood Control Act, which gave the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers greater authority to implement flood control
projects, was also passed. This piecemeal approach to disaster assistance
was problematic and it prompted legislation that required greater
cooperation between federal agencies and authorized the President to
coordinate these activities.

The 1960s and early 1970s brought massive disasters requiring major federal
response and recovery operations by the Federal Disaster Assistance
Administration, established within the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD). Hurricane Carla struck in 1962, Hurricane Betsy in 1965,
Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Agnes in 1972. The Alaskan
Earthquake hit in 1964 and the San Fernando Earthquake rocked Southern
California in 1971. These events served to focus attention on the issue of
natural disasters and brought about increased legislation. In 1968, the
National Flood Insurance Act offered new flood protection to homeowners, and
in 1974 the Disaster Relief Act firmly established the process of
Presidential disaster declarations

President Carter's 1979 executive order merged many of the separate
disaster-related responsibilities into a new Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA). Among other agencies, FEMA absorbed: the Federal Insurance
Administration, the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, the
National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program, the Federal
Preparedness Agency of the General Services Administration and the Federal
Disaster Assistance Administration activities from HUD. Civil defense
responsibilities were also transferred to the new agency from the Defense
Department's Defense Civil Preparedness Agency

The new agency was faced with many unusual challenges in its first few years
that emphasized how complex emergency management can be. Early disasters and
emergencies included the contamination of Love Canal, the Cuban refugee
crisis and the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. Later,
the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992 focused
major national attention on FEMA. In 1993, President Clinton nominated James
L. Witt as the new FEMA director. Witt became the first agency director with
experience as a state emergency manager. He initiated sweeping reforms that
streamlined disaster relief and recovery operations, insisted on a new
emphasis regarding preparedness and mitigation, and focused agency employees
on customer service. The end of the Cold War also allowed Witt to redirect
more of FEMA's limited resources from civil defense into disaster relief,
recovery and mitigation programs"