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It could have a been a lot worse. But it also should be getting better, much more quickly.

The 16 tornadoes that struck eastern New Mexico and bordering Texas on Friday evening miraculously spared lives, though several dozen people were injured as the storms ground hundreds of buildings, mobile homes and vehicles into piles of nondescript rubble.

Emergency services, rescue units, the Red Cross, Salvation Army and public officials all rose to the need in Clovis, Logan and the surrounding area, as you would expect them to do in a disaster of such devastation across the counties of Curry, Quay and Roosevelt. They did a valiant and magnificent job of search and rescue, helping the injured get medical care and finding temporary shelter for the homeless.

Gov. Bill Richardson wasted no time in touring the affected areas Sunday, making a disaster declaration and issuing an executive order providing $750,000 in state emergency aid for the three counties. He promised to seek full federal assistance to help the affected communities, families and businesses to start over.

Then reality hit the road - with reports it may take four months for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to get emergency housing, in the form of mobile trailers, into the affected areas.

Unacceptable.

People need housing now, and FEMA should be prepared to get it here. When Americans - whether in New Orleans after the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina or in eastern New Mexico after getting hammered by 120-mph tornadoes - are in need, they should be able to depend on their government to fulfill the promise we all make as Americans to help our fellow Americans in their darkest hour.

When the best FEMA can offer is shelter four months down the road, it is failing its mission to help Americans after natural disasters and fails all Americans who consider this a critical function of their federal government.

America needs a functional FEMA capable of near-instantaneous response, whether its help is needed in hurricane- ravaged Florida or Louisiana, in fire-singed Montana or California, or in tornado-pummeled New Mexico and Texas.

New Mexico's congressional delegation knows well the natural disasters that have befallen New Mexicans in the past several years - including wildfires, drought and flooding. They should be leading the charge to reform FEMA so it fully lives up to its name and mission, regardless of politics.