For me, it started when I carried my first company to Mississippi in the aftermath of Hurricane Camille and continued through TDY trips to the North Georga and later Tropical Storm Alberto floods, North Ridge Earthquake, and Hurricane Hugo a year after the event. What I learned is in the immediate emergency, the only source of help is affected population and local government crews. The outside government agencies cannot go in until the water goes down. They can't send people to the immediate area without taking up facilities critically needed by the people. Sometimes the relief effort has to be staged a hundred miles away to leave available hotels, motels and restaurants to the people that lost their homes. They can't even get into the areas while the roads/bridges are covered with floodwaters. Desperate people desperately want and need immediate help and often can't understand why FEMA isn't there when the rain stops. The local Emergency Management is there, the city electrical and water/sewer crews are there. The Electrical Cooperatives have agreements among themselves and don't need "Emergency Declarations" to send crews to help. They are mobile, are willing to sleep and eat in their trucks for a couple days. The Coast Guard has a Civil mission as well as a Military one, so they don't need federal orders to start rescuing civilians from rooftops. State National Guards can go on the Governor's orders and are already in the area. The only way to get water/food into flooded areas is often by helicopter, but the Coast Guard and National Guard helicopters are more urgently needed for "search and rescue". Recently, the voluntary group "Cajun Navy" has stepped up and gone in, on their own to help. Because of their own experience, they know how to coordinate with local authorities to perform search and rescue without interfering with local efforts. The immediate needs must come from the people themselves and the most impressive thing I have noticed is the willingness of people to help in emergencies. They open up their homes, share their food and water with friends and neighbors. I noticed at Camille that even my worst "gold bricks" (remember, this was a "draft Army" then) fell right in and worked hard, because they could see the need. Everyone should have some stores of dry/canned foods, some alternate means of cooking, boiling or filtering water, shelter. If you are prepared to help your neighbors, they will be prepared to help you. God help all those that need it now.
Mike
