Tornados - who sends aid to us?

[mrpackerguy]

The Joplin, MO tornado (those poor people) and the southern tornados from a couple weeks ago got me thinking. We send billions of $$ in aid to assist other countries when they have natural disasters. Do we ever get any foreign assistance?

[Stingray89]

Not to my knowledge.

[Thor]

I paid for 95% of all of last years flood damage myself. Even my insurance company wouldn't pay, much less anyone
else.

[emor]

International response to Hurricane Katrina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[bassguppy]

depends on the size and scope of the disaster. I know other countries offered help during Katrina.

Regarding Hurricane Katrina Relief....

Donations include Kuwait donating 500 million dollars, Canada sending frigate HMCS Toronto (FFH 333) and frigate HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH 332)), a coast guard light icebreaker (CCGS Sir William Alexander), and two H-3 Sea King helicopters to the area (2 additional helicopters will be sent to Boston to replace US Coast Guard helicopters going to Louisiana) and Singapore sending three CH-47 Chinook helicopters and thirty-eight RSAF personnel from a training detachment based in Grand Prairie, Texas.[40] Some of these countries that helped even offered evacuees to immigrate to their respective countries.

Notable offers from international organizations include the United Nations, which was ready to send supply high-energy biscuits, generators, planes, tents along with experienced staff members; and Paris-based International Energy Agency agreeing to make 60 million barrels oil available to help the United States weather the economic problems caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Initially, the United States had been reluctant to accept donations and aid from foreign countries. However, this policy was reversed, and as the reports of damage grew more grim, the United States has now started to accept the foreign aid. Countries and organizations that offered to send aid mentioned by the State Department included Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, the European Union, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, International Energy Agency, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, NATO, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Organization of American States, Oman, OPEC, Pakistan, Paraguay, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, the United Nations, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Venezuela and the World Health Organization. Other countries not on this list have also offered aid, but the State Department mentioned that they had not been asked. Later, the US State Department said all offers were being examined. [39]

[Staccato]

You've introduced a foreign concept, no pun intended!

It's seemingly about our own Red Cross, donations to other US charities, and similar relief. On the available, good citizen front-volunteers that are not making their own rules-are organized by Police, Fire Dept., EMA, or others in charge of disaster search and rescue.

As a CERT volunteer member, my team would be activated locally by EMA.

[bassguppy]

Originally Posted by emor

International response to Hurricane Katrina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

beat me to it...

[Stinsok]

We can do it ourselves. I am sure you are going to see an amazing outpouring of volunteers and aid from right here.

[jaywa]

My wife has several extended family members directly impacted by the Tuscaloosa tornado a few weeks ago. The message they've basically received from the Federal and state governments is, "you're on your own". One of them owns a trailer court and they are being charged out of pocket to replace all the telephone poles in the park at a cost of $250 per pole. FEMA is supposed to be sending them some trailers to replace the ones that blew away but who knows if or when they'll get there. And as we know from Katrina, those FEMA trailers have issues of their own.

It sucks... especially considering the BILLIONS we give to countries that hate our guts... but those are hearty, hardworking God-fearing folk down there. It may take time, but they'll be fine.

[Bassman316]

Interesting that Cuba was included in that list of countries whose aid for Katrina was accepted after the United States "reversed its policy" on foreign aid, given that Cuba was the first country to send medicine and doctors, and was rejected by the US government. Just sayin'.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by jaywa

My wife has several extended family members directly impacted by the Tuscaloosa tornado a few weeks ago. The message they've basically received from the Federal and state governments is, "you're on your own". One of them owns a trailer court and they are being charged out of pocket to replace all the telephone poles in the park at a cost of $250 per pole. FEMA is supposed to be sending them some trailers to replace the ones that blew away but who knows if or when they'll get there. And as we know from Katrina, those FEMA trailers have issues of their own.

It sucks... especially considering the BILLIONS we give to countries that hate our guts... but those are hearty, hardworking God-fearing folk down there. It may take time, but they'll be fine.

Kinda have to agree with this. Even after viewing the Katrina aid Wiki page, I can't help but say, "OK, that's nice, but we give something to the tune of a billion or so a year to Pakistan alone. I don't even want to think how much we give out in total to all countries."

Sometimes I wish we were less humanitarian and took care of our own people who are actually in need a little bit more.

[jp58]

We never got anything for the flood until well after the fact.

[ehque]

I just came here to say that Singapore sent three CH-47 Chinook helicopters and thirty-eight RSAF personnel after Katrina. I believe it's mentioned above.

I don't think we've ever received direct aid from the USA, but then again, we don't have natural disasters here.

[Cabazon]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Kinda have to agree with this. Even after viewing the Katrina aid Wiki page, I can't help but say, "OK, that's nice, but we give something to the tune of a billion or so a year to Pakistan alone. I don't even want to think how much we give out in total to all countries."

Sometimes I wish we were less humanitarian and took care of our own people who are actually in need a little bit more.

We have an extremely shaky relationship and immense interest in good diplomatic relations with Pakistan.

We have immensely wonderful diplomatic relations with Missouri already, and little interest in improving it.

You're mixing up diplomacy with humanitarianism.

[emor]

Originally Posted by Cabazon

We have immensely wonderful diplomatic relations with Missouri already, and little interest in improving it.

[GregC]

Originally Posted by bassguppy

depends on the size and scope of the disaster. I know other countries offered help during Katrina.

+1, and I think your first comment is key. The loss of life and the damage suffered in Alabama and Missouri is tragic. But "we" (the U.S.) should be able to deal with those in-house, so to speak.

I wonder if the U.S. specifically sends aid when disasters of that size happen in other countries. My guess is that the U.S. and most other countries typically only send relief when huge disasters happen, as with Katrina, Japan, the tsunami a few years ago, etc.

[bigblondeafro87]

This is ridiculous, how can people accept this? We don't help natural disaster victims in our own country, while our government dishes out money to other countries for much less and spends (IMO) an unbelievable amount on the military. Not to mention our military budget has increased since last year.

At some point, the US government stopped acting in the interest of the people.

[Cabazon]

Originally Posted by bigblondeafro87

This is ridiculous, how can people accept this? We don't help natural disaster victims in our own country, while our government dishes out money to other countries for much less and spends (IMO) an unbelievable amount on the military. Not to mention our military budget has increased since last year.

At some point, the US government stopped acting in the interest of the people.

The Governor of Missouri disagrees that the government isn't helping natural disaster victims. He says the opposite, actually.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13509683
Towards the bottom: "'As a state, we are deploying every agency and resource available to keep Missouri families safe, search for the missing, provide emergency medical care, and begin to recover,' he said."

[hrodbert696]

What countries send us aid? The ones that have more money than the US?

I was surprised (and pleased) by the Katrina list. But seriously, America is the world's biggest economy and the leading world superpower. No big surprise that we send a lot more aid out than comes in.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

You have more financial power than any other country in the world, blame your government if they aren't helping you.

Also, look at the scale of the damage, these tornados haven't destroyed the infrastructure of the country, like the tsunamis and earthquakes in Sri Lanka and Japan.

And, as people have pointed out, when the US was hit by a massive natural disaster, there was help, even from people you guys don't like .