Agent Orange is very unhappy with FEMA. He thinks that it has many issues and doesn’t need to be around anymore. He wants to give the power to the states – except they do not necessarily have what is needed like FEMA does. People, supplies, and equipment cannot always be held on standby in the States. Take, for example, the hurricane that came up through Georgia, clobbering the state and everything in its path all the way up through North Carolina. With the devastation wreaked by the hurricane, North Carolina needed more than they could prepare for. If FEMA hadn’t been available, they would still be trying to find people in the wreckage and working on roads to be able to get more supplies and people to where it’s needed. They would still be trying to airlift supplies in. And that’s just what I can think of off the top of my head, so a bit simplistic, but you, the reader, can get the idea.
Research shows that there was a major disaster declared approximately every 4 days in 2024. Every. Four. Days. Now yes, that isn’t exactly accurate, since it’s the average across the whole year but it will do. Hurricane season is getting longer. Fire season is now year-round. Spring severe weather is getting worse. It’s not just FEMA’s perception that threats are increasing. There were 90, yes, NINETY, major disasters declared in 2024.
From CNN: It was one of the worst years for disaster declarations in the last three decades (1995-2024), according to a new analysis from the International Institute for Environment and Development, or IIED, shared exclusively with CNN. Ninety major disaster declarations in a year are nearly double the annual average of 55 declarations, according to the London-based think tank. Researchers also found that 41% of the US population lived in a county where a major disaster or emergency was declared — about 137 million people.
Now sure, the agency came under fire last year, but it’s not surprising for the overwhelming number of disasters declared. Things start running out and have to be replaced. Supply cannot necessarily keep up with demand. More people are needed. But so many disasters would overwhelm anyone. FEMA did their damnedest and kept going. The US president can declare a major disaster or emergency for any natural event, such as hurricanes, storms, tornados, and landslides when they determine an event is severe enough to surpass the ability of state and local governments to respond. It provides access to federal funding for emergency needs and permanent repairs. But the Mango Mandarin wants to give disaster response back to the states? They might not be able to handle it! They need the extra help that FEMA provides!
The US had 27 separate weather and climate disasters that cost more than 1 *billion* in damage. That’s a lotta damage, to use slang. The numbers did not include things like chemicals or toxic substance disasters. I’m sure that dollar total would go up if it had, but we are discussing “natural” disasters at the moment. There are also infrastructure issues to be considered, like pumps to clean out the subways. It’s built for yesterday’s climate, not today’s. How about hurricane-prone Louisiana? There’s a massive amount of upgrades that need to happen both on the coast and inland. But tRump wants to shut FEMA down. That would be a disaster in and of itself. Disasters are going to get worse. And no centralized agency to help is just plain stupid.
“I think state emergency management directors should be concerned about what this means for spring tornado season” and the coming hurricane season, former FEMA Chief Diane Criswell said. “Do they have the resources to protect their residents?” Where do they store items? How do they rent heavy equipment when they don’t know what will be needed or where? How do they know what they’ll need? Sure, FEMA could stand to be updated and improved. But we need them. Traitor Tot needs to be shown that in a most forceful manner. Improve it, don’t close it. We. Need. FEMA.
*****And now, please read a very special request from our awesome boss******
Zoomers, if you can hunt through the sofa cushions for spare change, we could use it. We are in month five of depressed traffic while a depressed nation tunes out. I have every belief that the disenchanted will tune back in and some point and return to the fight but until that happens, the bills keep coming and we need help. Thank you. Ursula
Wow! What a great idea, let’s leave the emergency response to an emergency, to the people caught right up in the center of the emergency.
And lets store all the equipment needed in an emergency right in the middle of where the emergency will happen where it can be damaged or destroyed in the emergency by the emergency itself.
What could go wrong?
A couple of decades ago I worked two seasons as a Disaster Temporary Employee of FEMA. Of the original group of over 400 at the Winchester NSPC in 2004 I was one of forty temps offered direct employment with FEMA as a federally employed DTE. That meant going through a whole bunch of new training beyond taking disaster applications and later helpline work. But I wound up fully credentialed, even to go into the field and work disasters. So while I’m sure some things have evolved much of the basics of how FEMA is set up to function exists as I knew it. IOW I know shit on this topic.
Having said that every state has its own state level version of FEMA. Often their model is very close to how the federal version does things. However there are as you point out times when state resources aren’t enough to meet the needs of disasters which is why Governors will request the President to issue a federal emergency declaration for counties affected by disasters. THAT allows resources to be brought in from out of state – and both red and blue states have relied on this over the decades. With a federal declaration the person in charge of a given disaster is from FEMA which means a clear chain of command. Except when some dickhead President swoops in and puts another dickhead in charge of a response such as happpened with New Orleans. Remember ‘Brownie you’re doing a heckuva job?’ In reality we all knew THAT was bullshit!
I live in NC and as you point out this state would be even more screwed without that federal disaster declaration. STATES are required to balance their budgets each year so response to disasters would bust state’s governments ability to function. There are probably a few idiot GOP Governors who like this idea but it would be an anchor around the neck of that state’s GOP at some point. Most Governors including red state ones are I bet quietly urging Trump NOT to take this step. Sooner or later every state needs other states to pitch in to help them recover from a major natural disaster.
States can and do handle disasters in small counties or parts of large ones all the time. But a MAJOR disaster is another story. Without federal dollars and management they simply aren’t up to the task.
From the article: “I think state emergency management directors should be concerned about what this means for spring tornado season” and the coming hurricane season, former FEMA Chief Diane Criswell said.
“Spring tornado season?”
Spring officially began last Thursday (March 20). From a USA Today article online dated yesterday:
“Damaging high winds and possible tornadoes were forecast to blast across parts of the Mississippi Valley deep into the South, a week after the region was battered by a deadly tornado outbreak, meteorologists said.”
That article has a link at the “battered by a deadly tornado outbreak” and, if you click that link, it goes to a story posted March 17 (or 3 days *before* the official start of spring) describing storms that hit over the preceding weekend with this bit of information: “According to the Storm Prediction Center, there were 75 tornadoes logged.” Again, that was BEFORE Spring officially started.
“41% of the US population lived in a county where a major disaster or emergency was declared — about 137 million people”. While disasters can happen anytime/anywhere, there is a certan predictability re hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and, even (eventually) earthquakes along the Pacific coast. Has anyone color coded (blue and red) the counties most likely to be in the cross hairs of such disaters. Methinks, more red than blue? California could ride out some problems more easily than, say, the Carolinas.
Trump.hates helping anyone. unless it puts money in his pocket.. FEMA’s whole job is helping American without regard to their financial.status. I hope a hurricane blows Man-go-Lardo away. It is an ugly piece of architecture, tacky and overdone. Since Trump’s taste can be succinctly described as “Trailer Trash Versailles” so it suits him perfectly.