General Flynn: 150 counties in various states are complete disaster zones, biblical proportions that the federal government is not helping. In NC there are over 1000 killed in body bags, and there are many for which there are no body bags .
Flynn estimates over 2000 dead. There are towns completely cut off, and homes are gone. Weather conditions are misty and wet at night, temperatures are low 30’s, by end of the month will have freezing conditions and possible snow. People are walking around with nothing. Flynn, “The Federal Government has done nothing.”
When they talk about ‘FEMA is out of money’ or ‘the Federal Government is out of money”, first of all it’s our money. Our government has Disaster Recovery Response Funds and Congress (Flynn talks directly to Speaker Johnson here) can reallocate funds – some funds being spent overseas on something we don’t need to be part of – Congress can reallocate funds with one simple vote, actually it’s the Speaker of the House that can do that. So Flynn doesn’t want people to accept that ‘we’re out of money’ from the Government because Speaker of the House can reallocate money from one line item to another line item. The Speaker can do it, and the President can do it without a pen – just direct these funds to go to that emergency
The President of the United States has the ability to call out and Federalize the National Guard. Flynn estimates that we have an army division’s worth of need – a force of roughly 15,000- 20,000. We can get them right now with all of the logistics, communications, ‘tennage’ (ransomnote:I didn’t find the term with Internet search), mobile kitchen trailers, water purification etc. He said if he were in charge he would want an entire division. Since the National Guard has to go through a process, Flynn would prefer the 82nd Air Division 3 hour drive away from the western hills of North Carolina. The 82nd Division have capabilities to be there in 2 hours, 4 hours, 24 hours with large packages of everything that Nick was just talking about.
Flynn has representatives on the ground in NC collecting intel and an assessment of the area, these are the guys telling Flynn how many body bags they’re out of, how many they still need, areas that they have not gotten into.
Some of the stories we were told, and have been fixed – and Flynn will explain how they were fixed, there were X North Carolina forestry helicopters sitting idle at Hickory airfield in North Carolina for 5 days. The pilots knew the area impacted and were frustrated because they were basically told, ‘Don’t do anything.’ The pilots would call up and offer to help because flying in the mountains is best done by pilots with experience in that specific terrain. Flynn said he made one phone call to Lt. Gov Mark Robinson. Robinson said nobody was answering their phone in the governors office, no one answer his calls to the Department of Homeland Security, he was calling up to the White House. Mark took the initiative to drive to the airport to direct the pilots to take action under his authority, and Flynn doesn’t know what authority Mark has, and the pilots thanked him and went to work, after 5 days idle, and offering to help.
Flynn says there are so many stories of incompetence, ineptitude and intentionality.
FEMA: FEMA has a small element on the ground. There are no signs to indicate to the public that FEMA is present or helping, or supplies are on their way etc. FEMA staff were told not to address anyone who comes up for help, just tell them they are sitting tight and waiting for supplies (this occurred the morning of Octorber 4). A little further from Hickory, in the greater Asheville area.
Biden should pick up the phone and direct the National Command Authority, which means Dept of Defense, Secretary of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, FEMA and other federal institutions to mobilize. Flynn believes they should be placed under the command and control of a military unit because this is a military disaster relief operation; he has been part of many such operations. He describes these rescue operations as ‘simple’ because these are Americans. Flynn knows of Ft Bragg military taking leave in order to go help those in the disaster area.
