Declarations

Preparation a Must

“Just because the economy’s horrible doesn’t mean hurricanes stop.”

—Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Craig Fugate, stressing how important it is for newly elected public officials to learn how to respond during hurricanes and other powerful storms. He said a bad economy is no excuse not to prepare. Speaking to attendees at the National Hurricane Conference in Atlanta, Fugate said that governors, mayors and others must participate in hurricane preparedness drills to understand the decisions they may have to make. He also urged the emergency management community to utilize social media to engage the public and work more with the private sector to fill in the gaps in support when responding to disasters.

No Payment Yet

“To my knowledge, Transocean, Cameron and Halliburton haven’t paid a nickel to victims or for the cleanup.”

—David A. Logan, dean of Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, R.I., said suits filed by BP Plc against its partners in last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill “are intended to spread liability” and are part of “a larger public relations effort.” BP has sued Transocean Ltd, Halliburton Co. and Cameron International Corp., seeking up to the full cost of the disaster — estimated at $42 billion — plus costs, interest and punitive damages from each of the companies that helped it drill the doomed well. So far, BP has met the cost of the clean-up effort alone.(Reuters)

Wind, Fire, Scorched Earth

“With the winds gusting up to 60 mph, it would mean winds blowing the fire and helping it grow but also that we cannot attack it from the air, which has been one of big strategies we have had up until now.”

—C.J. Norvell, a spokeswoman for a team of federal firefighters and officials helping fight wildfires in West Texas. Texas has been plagued by an onslaught of wildfires all over the state, fueled by strong winds and historic drought conditions. Since Jan. 1, wildfires have scorched more than 1.8 million acres in the state and led to the deaths of two firefighters.