MIAMI : Victims of Hurricane Wilma's wrath in Florida pressured
officials for relief as they suffered a third day without
electricity and scant basic supplies, while Governor Jeb Bush
admitted the emergency relief effort "didn't work as it
should."
The White House, meanwhile, announced that President George W.
Bush, the governor's brother, would visit the hurricane-damaged
region Thursday.
In Mexico, officials estimated damage from the ferocious storm was
costing 15 million dollars a day in lost tourism revenue from the
glitzy Yucatan peninsula, while in Cuba tourism officials said the
sector would be back on its feet in a week.
At least nine people died in Florida in connection with the storm
that pummeled much of the Florida peninsula Monday, according to
police and local media.
Hurricane damages were estimated between four and eight billion
dollars in Florida, California-based risk analysis firm EQECAT
said.
Before hitting Florida, Wilma had devastated Mexico's Yucatan
peninsula and Cozumel island, leaving at least 10 people dead. Four
people died in Cuba during pre-storm evacuations.
In Florida, all along the eastern coast, the same scene of
desperation repeated itself. Thousands of people filled the streets
in search of water, ice, food and gasoline (petrol) they needed to
cope with widespread power outages.
Some six million people were still without electricity. The lack of
power made restoring water pressure difficult.
More than 70 distribution points for water, ice and food had been
opened in the state, the governor said, and their number should
increase to more than 80 in the next few days.
Nevertheless, many of the aid centers did not function as expected
Tuesday, and supplies were snapped up Wednesday as people waited in
long lines for scarce aid.
The snags sparked criticisms of the state and federal governments,
especially the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), still
under fire for its slow response to the victims of Hurricane
Katrina in late August.
The complex aid system "didn't work as it should yesterday, and I
probably raised the bar too high... we did not meet those
expectations and I accept responsibility for that," Governor Bush
said at a news conference.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez said the provisions sent by
FEMA to his county had already run out.
"Everything that the federal government has provided to us has been
distributed... we're not holding back anything," he told
reporters.
"It's the process and how it's structured, and it's flawed... and
I'm not blaming anyone," he said, adding that the delivery of aid
to the people had been bogged down for hours in red tape.
Acknowleding that people were "frustrated, disappointed, angry,"
the mayor said: "I think the system needs to be reviewed."
David Paulison, FEMA's acting director and a former chief of the
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department, said the long lines seen Tuesday
could have been avoided.
"That's why we tell people, have 72 hours of food and water, so you
don't have to stand in line," Paulison said. "But regardless, we're
going to make sure to increase the supply line."