I have been involved in a few disaster recovery scenarios. Some of them have involved the Red Cross. The best efforts I have witnessed have been under the direction of locals. When the government or Red Cross or whoever showed up, they realized very quickly that they would create chaos if they tried to take over.
I have seen Red Cross meals brought in and stacked against the walls while people brought home-cooked meals in and fed disaster victims. When the Red Cross tried to stop it, they were informed they were not in control of the facility. Anyone who wanted a Red Cross meal could have one. Anyone who wanted casserole or spaghetti or pulled pork could have that. In the end, thousands of dollars of Red Cross aid went to the dumpster.
Disaster organizations in the western U.S. have come to understand that sometimes local citizens have their own organizations that work extremely well with local knowledge. It's better to work in support of them than to try to roll over the top of them.
This aligns with a thread I read on this last night [0]. I'd never really thought about the advantages local organizations would have over national ones, but it makes sense.
Interesting. In a small town where Red Cross came in, I recall locals being told their food wasn't allowed to be served to the National Guard & other volunteers since it had not be properly inspected. I'm not sure who's fault this was but it did annoy a lot of people & they found ways around it.
In some situations, when it comes time for people to try to get back into their homes and recover what they've lost the federal government is going to be integral. Many people who have lost everything do not have flood insurance (and in many cases never even considered needing it).
In cases like this where people are losing everything due to unpredictable weather catastrophes that are likely exacerbated by climate change I think its a perfect opportunity for the federal government (being an aggregator of funds from the entire nation) to help those who need it the most. As the climate gets more extreme we're going to need more programs like the national flood insurance program (and better/improved ones) [1].
I have seen Red Cross meals brought in and stacked against the walls while people brought home-cooked meals in and fed disaster victims. When the Red Cross tried to stop it, they were informed they were not in control of the facility. Anyone who wanted a Red Cross meal could have one. Anyone who wanted casserole or spaghetti or pulled pork could have that. In the end, thousands of dollars of Red Cross aid went to the dumpster.
Disaster organizations in the western U.S. have come to understand that sometimes local citizens have their own organizations that work extremely well with local knowledge. It's better to work in support of them than to try to roll over the top of them.