The storm, you know, the one that killed a bunch of people and was estimated to cost over a billion dollars. There were dramatic videos of rushing waters with entire houses being gobbled up and vehicles flooded.
Still don’t know which one I am referring too? Me neither! That’s because there have been so many over the past several years.
Along with the daily barrage of forest fires engrossing thousands of acres of land, the news continues to shock, or quasi-shock viewers.
This year the U.S. had 900 reported tornadoes. That is up three hundred from last year.
Hurricane season is about a week away from its start with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) predicting a potential increase in ocean activity and hurricanes.
Climate-related disasters like floods and wildfires cause tens of billions of dollars in damage each year. When events are granted a presidential disaster declaration (PDF), states are eligible for federal government support to cover a substantial portion of disaster-related costs. However, the Trump administration is proposing changes that would shift more of the financial burden to states.
Federal disaster aid is nearly everywhere. About 94% of Americans live in a county that has gotten Federal Emergency Management Agency help for disasters since 2011.
States and cities struck by deadly tornadoes, floods, fires and mud slides are begging the Trump administration for disaster aid. Trump has now left states, counties and tribes hanging as he delays making decisions on formal requests for millions of dollars in FEMA funding. Some areas that are still reeling from extreme weather are unable to start cleanup.
Twenty two states have requested help from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) for various heavy storm damages. Two states have been denied with 20 still pending the signature approval of President Donald Trump.
On May 8, Trump fired FEMA leader Cameron Hamilton and replaced him with David Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer who has no experience in emergency management.
Trump recently canceled two FEMA grant programs that gave states billions of dollars a year to pay for protective measures against disasters. The move drew protests from Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
In a recent memo FEMA leadership formally announced the sweeping reorganization amid confusion, turmoil and a shrinking workforce at the agency under the Trump administration, which has vowed to “eliminate” FEMA altogether.
In January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order establishing the FEMA Review Council to determine whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency is equipped to address disasters across the United States.
The president stated it should be up to the states to help their own residents. Unfortunately, it may be cost prohibitive for poorer states, especially those in the tornado alley, or coastal states on the east and west coasts and those bordering the Gulf of Mexico to maintain a full-working disaster agency.
The other factor in climate disasters is homeowners insurance policies. Most companies are requiring separate policies for floods. Some of the largest insurance carriers have now either stopped selling/renewing policies in areas with major climate disasters. The cost of policies is skyrocketing in many weathered states.
You see, climate change and attempts to thwart more devastating reasons for it in the future have all been shelved, or about to be.
The current administration wants to return to burning fossil fuels like there is no tomorrow. Why, you ask? Because there is more money to be made by polluting the atmosphere.
Politicians look out for themselves and the almighty reelection. Lobbyists pour millions into campaign coffers to keep the engines going.
When is the last time you really gasped at the news of a billion dollar storm? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.
