From MSNBC: Trump and Noem’s attacks on FEMA blew up in the most predictable way

“There is a larger lesson here. Undermining the federal government, treating its career employees poorly, discarding years of institutional knowledge and cutting spending for the sake of cutting spending might seem like good politics, until you need the federal government. And when it comes to responding to natural disasters, only the federal government is capable of marshaling the necessary capabilities and expertise undermining the federal government might seem like good politics, until you need the federal government.”

(1) From the WashPost: Kerr County did not use its most far-reaching alert system in deadly Texas floods. 
Local officials used the system more than two days after the recorded height of the floods.
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(2) From MSN: Flooded Texas County Turned Down Funds for Warning System From Biden Admin in 2021: ‘We Don’t Want to Be Bought’

From Reuters: The diva got mentioned in this article today – Trump’s Texas visit highlights an us-vs-them approach to disasters

From the WashPost: Trump administration moves away from abolishing FEMA
As the president heads to Texas to see the impact of last week’s deadly flash floods, the White House has backed away from plans to abolish the agency, officials said.

“For months, President Donald Trump and his homeland security secretary have said the Federal Emergency Management Agency could be eliminated. But as the president heads to Texas to view the impact of last week’s deadly floods, administration officials say abolishing the agency outright is not on the agenda.

A senior White House official told The Washington Post that no official action is being taken to wind down FEMA, and that changes in the agency will probably amount to a “rebranding” that will emphasize state leaders’ roles in disaster response.”

From AP News: Texas flooding, and politics around it, underscore the challenges Trump faces in replacing FEMA

“Just weeks ago, President Donald Trump said he wanted to begin “phasing out” the Federal Emergency Management Agency after this hurricane season to “wean off of FEMA” and “bring it down to the state level.”

But after months of promises to overhaul or eliminate the federal agency charged with responding to disasters, Trump and his administration are touting a fast and robust federal response to the devastating Texas floods. In doing so, they are aligning more closely with a traditional model of disaster response — and less with the dramatic reform the president has proposed.”

From E&ENews: FEMA Leader is a No Show After Deadly TX Flooding. “David Richardson hasn’t made public appearances, statements or social media postings since last week’s flood. Former FEMA officials say that’s concerning”

“David Richardson hasn’t made public appearances, statements or social media postings since last week’s flood. Former FEMA officials say that’s concerning.

As the Federal Emergency Management Agency responds to the deadly flooding in Texas, one key resource is missing: the FEMA leader.

David Richardson, the agency’s acting administrator, has not been to the site of one of the nation’s deadliest floods in the U.S. in the past 25 years, upending a long practice of FEMA leaders making themselves visible after major disasters.

Public appearances by FEMA administrators, including meetings with governors and disaster survivors, have been a typical part of the nation’s disaster response, reassuring the public of federal support and showcasing political unity.”

From CNN: FEMA’s response to Texas flood slowed by Noem’s cost controls.

“As monstrous floodwaters surged across central Texas late last week, officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency leapt into action, preparing to deploy critical search and rescue teams and life-saving resources, like they have in countless past disasters.

But almost instantly, FEMA ran into bureaucratic obstacles, four officials inside the agency told CNN.

As CNN has previously reported, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — whose department oversees FEMA — recently enacted a sweeping rule aimed at cutting spending: Every contract and grant over $100,000 now requires her personal sign-off before any funds can be released.”

From the NYTimes:

(1) In Flooded Texas, Questions About FEMA’s Role and Fate
(2)As the Texas Floodwaters Rose, One Indispensable Voice Was Silent

Disaster preparedness is among the trickiest public services. Natural disasters happen regularly and everywhere, but they don’t happen predictably, which means being ready for them requires extra precautions: It requires a lot of people on duty even when nothing is going wrong, to ensure they will be able to act when something inevitably does. It requires expensive infrastructure that does fairly little during normal times. That makes it a very good indicator of state capacity and wisdom. Will leaders have the foresight to prepare for outcomes that may not be top of voters’ minds? Or will preparedness fall victim to the political theater of cutting anything that can be portrayed as extravagant or redundant?
It requires extra precautions: It requires a lot of people on duty even when nothing is going wrong, to ensure they will be able to act when something inevitably does. It requires expensive infrastructure that does fairly little during normal times. That makes it a very good indicator of state capacity and wisdom. Will leaders have the foresight to prepare for outcomes that may not be top of voters’ minds? Or will preparedness fall victim to the political theater of cutting anything that can be portrayed as extravagant or redundant?esident Trump wants to shutter the agency and shift responsibility and costs of emergency management to the states. In Texas, that process appears to already be underway.

From NBCNews: How a confluence of extreme weather, geography and timing created Texas’ flood disaster

“Texas leads the country in flood deaths. Steep hills, shallow soils and a fault zone have made Hill Country, also called “flash flood alley,” one of the state’s most dangerous regions.”

From The Hill: Congress must make America more resilient to increasingly devastating disasters. 

“Get ready. As we head into hurricane season, fire season and flood season, which are all worsening because the planet is warming, our federal government is not equipped to help you prepare for, escape from, or respond to the disaster. In fact, there is apparently no plan in writing for how the federal government will respond to disasters this year.

According to an internal review, the Federal Emergency Management Agency isn’t ready to help Americans this year, and if President Trump has any say in the matter, it will never be ready. Trump plans to dismantle the agency entirely by December. And even if he’s not serious about dismantling FEMA and instead opts for reforming it, the cuts to the agency have already been disastrous.”