I find it hard to sympathize with local and state goverments that fail to plan for the obvious. Why should the federal government be responsible for snow in Buffalo or Hurricanes damaging a coastal city built below sea level. Couldn't see that coming!!

These are entirely predictable problems that insurance and local government should handle, using local/state tax revenues paid by the parties affected who decided to live there.

Nobody plans for two feet of snow when leaves are still on the trees. The problem wasn't the snow. The problem was that the environment around Buffalo wasn't ready to receive the snow.

But shouldn't the same rules apply equally though? If areas flooded by the Delaware river become a federal disaster area every few years (which they do), shouldn't Buffalo when half the city is without power for weeks on end? Or should people living near rivers learn to fend for themselves. Floods happen, after all.

In what sense was this storm predictible? Nothing like this has happened before. Sure, Buffalo gets the occaisonal blizzard (oftentimes with 4x this much snow), but the fact that it fell this earlier greatly amplified the problems. Leaves still being on trees may not seem siginificant, but it more than doubles the surface area which can gather snow, increasing the amount of branches that will be knocking out power lines.

cole...how can you forsee a freak oct snowstorm, where heavy wet snow sticks to trees and power lines, than they collapse on wires, homes, cars and people. 400,000 without power, 12 deaths due to the storm..how can this be forseen. ? if we can send money to iraq, and other foreign countries, damnit, take care of our own land. what is wrong with you? joe in buffalo

It's just another situation where everyone thinks the federal government is there to save us all from ourselves. Cole is right. I'm not saying FEMA is not inept. But knowing FEMA is enept, at least for now, why would cities not prepare every way they know how? Snow falling on leaved trees and knocking out power is not a new phenomenon. Happens all the time. The folks there need help, but let this be a warning to every individual to do everything they can to be prepared in any situation.

"Or should people living near rivers learn to fend for themselves. Floods happen, after all."

The Federal goverment already subsidizes flood insurance for those who choose to live on flood plains.

Hurricanes happen. I recall a John Stossel 20/20 segment where he admitted having an ocean-side house rebuilt with flood insurance. I had a roof restored after hail damage from a severe thunderstorm. Why should the rest of us pay for anyone who does not opt for flood and hazard insurance.

My mom pays for earthquake insurance in California. If you think Iraq is expensive, wait until you see the bill for the big one out there with all that expensive real estate!!

Early snowfalls happen. But I admit, I had not considered the effect of leaves still on the trees. Hope they restore your power soon if you live up there.

cole, if it makes you feel better, FEMA did not even stop in buffalo, only looked at suburbs represented by reynolds. so please dont choke and calm down, no money was spent on democrats, it stood with the party and its re-election bid, in fact 7 days later and no fema representative in buffalo, in fact the stationed themselves in albany, 300 miles away.

Will the utilities finally bury the power lines, so their customers don't suffer these outages every few years ?

Where do you folks live? Its been cold, there's no school, no activities of any sort. When was the last time you lived for over a week with no TV, no heat, no hot water, no shopping? They need FEMA and better response time from their local utility provider.