We look at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we look at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

FEMA an Even Bigger Disaster Than the Storms Themselves

At American Thinker: FEMA an Even Bigger Disaster Than the Storms Themselves — and How it Can Be Replaced. A quote:

“FEMA exists to help American citizens and legal residents survive and recover from emergencies, natural or man-made. FEMA was called into action after 9/11, just as they were called into action after each hurricane since the agency’s inception. Overall, with a few exceptions, they have botched each disaster recovery effort, caring more about bureaucratic red tape than they do for the human lives they are saving … or losing. Certainly, after both hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, they should have been ready.”

Patrols Hunt for Ukraine Draft-Dodgers

Reported by the biased Al Jazeera: To boost Ukraine’s army, feared patrols hunt for potential conscripts. The article’s opening lines:

“About 1.3 million Ukrainians serve in the military.

At least 80,000 soldiers of eligible age, 25 to 60, have died since 2022, according to Western estimates.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government does not divulge the official death toll. He has said the army needs to enlist 500,000 out of about 3.7 million men of fighting age who are eligible for service.

These days, many potential recruits all over Ukraine think twice before leaving their homes. If they do, they look over their shoulder for “man-hunting” patrols.”

CDC: A Resurgence in Whooping Cough Cases

An October, 2024 CDC Report: Pertussis Surveillance and Trends. A key quote:

“In 2024, reported cases of pertussis increased across the United States, indicating a return to more typical trends. Preliminary data show that more than five times as many cases have been reported as of week 41, reported on October 12, 2024, compared to the same time in 2023. The number of reported cases this year is higher than what was seen at the same time in 2019, prior to the pandemic.”

Bird Flu: More Human Cases

Reader C.B. sent this: Bird flu concerns mount as California reports more human cases.

And soon after, in Washington: Bird flu infects four in Washington state; CDC deploys team.

Surge in Venezuelans Crossing the Darien Gap

D.S.V. sent this: Report: 25,000 U.S.-Bound Migrants Crossed Darién Jungle in September. An excerpt:

“Panama’s Migrant Authority registered a surge of U.S.-bound migrants passing through the Darién Gap jungle trail in September, largely driven by Venezuelans fleeing from their country in the wake of the fraudulent July 28 sham presidential election, the Associated Press (AP) reported over the weekend.

The surge recorded in September follows the launch of efforts led by the administration of President José Raúl Mulino to curb the flow of migrants passing through Panama’s territory en route to the United States after taking office in July.

The Darién Gap is a dangerous jungle trail that Panama shares with Colombia and the only land bridge that connects South and Central America. While an overwhelming majority of the hundreds of thousands of migrants who have passed through the Darién Gap are Venezuelan nationals, migrants from other South American nations such as Colombia and Ecuador, and Asian nations such as China, continue to pass through the trail en route to the United States. In 2023, Panama’s Migrant Authority documented 520,085 migrants crossing the Darién Gap.”