Just imagine being an FEMA worker who has been laid off and trying to deal with the personal emergency of attending to your finances under the government shutdown. You are living with having been insulted by your employer and the U.S. House of Representatives. You don’t like it one bit and are understandably angry.
Then, along comes tropical storm, soon-to-become hurricane Karen, and your employer calls to say it is time to come back to work as you are needed for an emergency. Well, on one hand you are glad that duty calls. On the other hand, you might think about time and revenue lost and how you are going to cover the shortfall.
Put your personal business aside, as you must now focus on assisting thousands of potential victims from a storm in the Gulf. No one really knows how bad it will become, or where landfall is likely to be. For certain, there will be shoreline damage and flooding. There will be wind damage and tornados that will cut through its inland path.
You are a professional and are going to do your work to the best of your ability.
Meanwhile, there is a group of Congressional representatives and Senators in government who are intent on casting their arrogance and inconsideration, as well as demonic lack of compassion onto you. They will mouth how grateful they are that the secret service and House protective services are protecting them from personal danger, but still, they laid them off without pay because, they are non-essential.
“Tropical Storm Karen expected to strengthen as Gulf Coast prepares for landfall
Hurricane and tropical storm watches will be issued for the northern Gulf Coast. The storm, named Karen, is responsible for the sogginess in South Florida.
BY GUSTAVO SOLIS
GSOLIS@MIAMIHERALD.COMAs South Florida recovered from record rainfall and serious flooding, other areas of the state are preparing for even worse weather from the same system.
Businesses pumped water from flooded parking lots and entrances, and part of Miami-Dade County remained under a flood advisory for most of the day.
The torrential downpour that started Wednesday afternoon and continued to soak the region through Thursday morning was caused in part by Tropical Storm Karen, which looks to make life miserable along the northern Gulf Coast this weekend.
Karen’s center of circulation Friday morning was about 295 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River, and was traveling north-northwest at 10 mph. It weakened overnight, with winds of 60 mph, but is expected to intensify Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
It was expected to become a Category 1 hurricane on Friday and could make landfall between Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle.
State and federal government agencies began to prepare.
In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott issued a state of emergency for 18 Panhandle counties. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal also declared a state of emergency. Alabama officials warned people to stay clear of the surf along the coast.
“Tropical Storm Karen threatens the state of Florida with a major disaster,” said Gov. Scott’s spokesman, John Tupps.
In Washington, during the third day of the government shutdown, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recalled furloughed workers to help prepare for Karen.
Florida National Guard officials worried that the shutdown will impact their ability to be ready if the Guard is needed for storm preparation or recovery. About half of its 2,000 full-time federal employees were furloughed."
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/03/3666969/more-rain-expected-in-south-florida.html#storylink=cpy
