Seriously, no one I know (and I have worked in and for and with government agencies at various levels at various times in my life) decides "I'm going to work for the government for the power/prestige/money I'll accrue."

There are some people who want government jobs because they're secure, and some who do the minimum needed to get by and are annoyed by the demands of the public they serve, that's true.

But by and large, especially in the skilled and technical positions where they could be making so much more in the private sector, government workers are so often there because working for the government gives them unique opportunities to help their fellow-citizens, learn important things, and put their experience to work making peoples' lives better.

When their best efforts to save people fail, it is truly heartbreaking.

somberly,
Bright

Last I heard, most were safe on the upper floors of a hotel, but supplies were limited.

Several made it out but it was very difficult, roads washed out or under water.

We live in the far southern part of South Carolina and it was bad enough here, there are many still with out power. The road I take to work is washed out.

and that thing would have had to barrel through there before getting to North Carolina.

Spoke to someone I know who lives in northern S Car who told me that they are on their 2nd day of no power, trees and power lines are down everywhere. Luckily this person's neighborhood only has downed trees and lines, but not far, there's massive destruction. They've never had anything like what happened, only maybe Hugo was comparable.

are the ones who try to diminish disaster funds to other areas of the mainland from various disasters as well as Puerto Rico.

I read these heartfelt missives from official sources and start all over again.

It is a great comfort though to discover that the compassionate and the tenderhearted are closer than we might think.

Thanks for sharing this, BRDS.

❤️

We still go to the mountains 4 or 5 times a year mostly to visit friends and family and stay at a small (really small lol) primitive cabin on 5 acres we own with 2 other couples. I have been somewhere in the mountains every year since the 80's, hiking, white water kayaking and canoeing, camping, music.

Like Fl I've seen them change and not for the better. There are some places in the mountains you just can't develop but they have been developing the hell out of them over the last 20-25 years. These aren't the coal mine mountains of West Va, luckily there are 3 large national Parks that protect a lot of them. But what's not protected these greedy developers(with the help of greedy people in local governments) are building wherever they can level lots. And they are selling to naïve people who have no clue where they're moving.

And I would bet thats why there was such a loss. 75% of the people that were probably "surprised" by what the local NWS was selling and thought it was hype because they weren't there 20 years ago when Ivan caused massive lethal flooding. I was waiving the flag about the mountains on here last Tuesday. Not like I'm a genius, was just passing along how concerned the smart people at the NWS were and the info we were discussing on some serious weather boards.

The NHC and the Tampa/Tallahassee/Atlanta/Greenville-Spartanburg NWS offices nailed this storm, I mean nailed it. And not just nailed it, they started warning about it before it even formed and just kept yelling louder and louder. My goodness what a freaking job.

It's sad even in these modern times, people don't listen then want to blame somebody else.