As a presidential candidate for October 2024, Donald Trump attacked the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to Hurricane Helen in North Carolina.
“They are offering them $750 and to those whose homes have been washed away,” he accidentally said. I insisted At a campaign rally. “Even so, we send tens of thousands of dollars to foreign countries that most people have never heard of. …Think about it. We give hundreds of billions of dollars to foreign countries and give $750 to North Carolina.”
He also worked on a society of truth, write“”[I] I don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the federal government and the state’s Democratic governors.
Trump was then elected I cut off the assistance. A few days ago, Trump’s FEMA Denied the state’s request To equally match state funds for hurricane cleanup, according to ABC News.
It wasn’t just North Carolina. Disaster Victims Arkansaud, Kentucky, Missouriand West Virginia It remains hanging. I received a Texas Some supporttherefore Trump hasn’t closed it all. But it’s clear what he means I said Regarding FEMA when touring Los Angeles, where fires are severe in January, “I say you don’t need FEMA, you need a good state government. In my opinion, FEMA is very expensive and is a situation that has almost failed.”
Irony is brutal: red state I’ll receive more Federal disaster assistance. For years, Blue State has subsidized disaster recovery. Now, thanks to these red state voting habits, they are themselves.
FEMA is cutting down flood prevention projects that benefit areas that primarily vote for rural Republicans. This includes $1 billion for cancelled flood-related projects in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay area. This is represented in the House by Republican Andy Harris, chairman of the far-right Freedom Caucus.
“We are aware of this cancellation of funds and reach out to appropriate federal agencies to better understand this decision,” Harris’ office I said In a statement.
That funding is existential, not an option. Chesapeake Bay Journal Report That model shows that the bay could rise high enough by 2050. Climate change, Harris NegationHe was able to sink all the parts of his district.
What’s even more tragic is the situation in Appalachia. Guardian Report That FEMA retreat allows you to wipe down a small town from the map. Many of these communities are highly dependent on FEMA, and institutions such as the National Weather Service and the National Science Foundation could no longer exist without them.
“A lot of people here wouldn’t know what to do without the help of FEMA,” a local storm victim told the outlet. “The rain is getting worse, so we need more information on the weather and better warnings.”
Geologist Ryan Tigpen fired the alarm and said, “This is where most people die unless they create a reliable warning system, model future flood risks for mitigation, and help mountain communities plan for long-term resilience.
But what do scientists know anyway? Trump won Almost 70% of West Virginia votes last year. Appalachia is a deep red and deeply distrustful of government, expertise and the very institutions that seek to save them.
Back in Maryland’s flood-prone Chesapeake area, a man wearing a Trump T-shirt complained to the Chesapeake Bay Journal that the floods are hurting his vacation rental business. “If people have to come here and wear boots, they’re not coming back,” he said.
Now that he has resolved the flood prevention project in the area, he asked if he regrets voting for Trump, he I said“If he did that, I think he did it for a reason.”
Trump did that for a reason: because he doesn’t give you a rat ass about you.
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