California’s Wildfires Exposed Failings of the State’s Leadership
California’s Wildfires Exposed Failings of the State’s Leadership
https://reason.com/2025/01/31/californias-wildfires-exposed-failings-of-the-states-leadership/
Tag: Disaster
FEMA Is a Disaster. Trump Is Right To Demand Changes.
“FEMA’s failures stem from a bloated bureaucracy and perverse incentives. Because the agency is guaranteed to pick up the check in an emergency no matter its size, states have less incentive to prepare for natural disasters. However, the American disaster response system is intended to rely on federalism and private charitable efforts. “Unfortunately, growing federal intervention is undermining this efficient, decentralized structure,” writes Chris Edwards, an economist at the Cato Institute.
In the two decades since the agency’s infamous Hurricane Katrina blunders, FEMA has failed to upend its deplorable reputation. Months after Hurricane Helene, FEMA had delivered only 46 temporary homes to North Carolina for the more than 500 families approved for a trailer. North Carolinians in Avery County remain baffled at the 80 trailers that remain vacant at a nearby FEMA staging area even today. In a response to the unused trailers, an agency spokesperson blamed weather and permitting requirements for the delay. But charities such as Samaritan’s Purse and Cajun Navy have already overcome these hurdles to deliver temporary housing without the backing of federal funding. Perhaps organizations with better track records of resource stewardship might be better recipients of critical disaster response funding.”
https://reason.com/2025/02/04/fema-is-a-disaster-trump-is-right-to-demand-changes/
Climate change made LA fires far more likely, study says
“Human-caused climate change made the Los Angeles-area fires more likely and more destructive, according to a study”
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“The study — from an international group of 32 climate researchers — shows how climate change fits into the myriad factors that made the multiple blazes one of California’s most destructive and expensive wildfire disasters on record.”
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“The scientists found that low rainfall from October through December is now more than twice as likely compared to the climate that existed before humans began burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas for energy.”
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“the LA fire season is becoming longer, with “highly flammable drought conditions” lasting about 23 more days now than during the preindustrial era.”
https://www.axios.com/2025/01/28/la-fires-cause-climate-change-more-likely
Sam Harris on the LA Fires, Government Incompetency, and Wealth Inequality with Rick Caruso
The left needs to be focused on competence in government not identity-based social causes, and the right needs to recognize that competent government requires funding and taxes and leaders who care about the organization’s mission and whose main qualification isn’t loyalty to a politician.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MB7hx1vc_I
Trump’s First Presidential Trip, and an American Egg Crisis
Trump seems eager to help red states with natural disasters, but not California, seeming to not understand the extent that weather made California particularly susceptible to hard to stop fires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMrHgQm0n2M
The L.A. Fires Are a Natural Disaster, Not a Policy Disaster
“In some contexts, those policies do make the damage done by wildfires worse. They’ll certainly complicate Los Angeles’ recovery efforts.
But the connection between bad land use, insurance, and environmental regulations and the damage done by the current Los Angeles fires to people and property is more tenuous.
On closer inspection, this appears to be a severe natural disaster with natural causes. Bad public policy has played only a marginal role.”
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“there’s also only so much fuels reduction can do to reduce wildfire risk in the conditions that led to Los Angeles’ current fires: exceptionally strong seasonal Santa Ana winds that reached hurricane levels of intensity.
“If you have strong winds, embers fly away miles ahead of the fire,” says Carmignani. Clearing a few hundred yards here or there can provide firefighters with areas to operate. But it isn’t going to stop the fire from spreading to new areas when winds are that high.
If the four-lane Pacific Coast Highway wasn’t enough of a fire break to prevent beachside Malibu homes from burning down, one wonders what would be.”
https://reason.com/2025/01/14/the-l-a-fires-are-a-natural-disaster-not-a-policy-disaster/
FEMA resuming normal North Carolina operations after scaling back due to threat
“Federal Emergency Management Agency crews in North Carolina were forced to relocate due to a reported armed threat against workers, first reported by The Washington Post.
An email sent by the U.S. Forest Service to federal responders in Rutherford County alerted them of an apparent standdown after National Guard troops reportedly encountered armed militia saying they were “hunting FEMA.”
Out of an abundance of caution, FEMA said its disaster assistance teams will be stationed at fixed locations instead of going door-to-door, which has been the agency’s common practice in the past.
One person was arrested in connection to the threat, CBS News confirmed on Monday.
“FEMA continues to support communities impacted by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance. For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments. Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, and we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery,” FEMA said in a statement to CBS News.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/fema-crews-threatened-amid-hurricane-145523932.html
Disaster loan program fully ‘exhausted’ with Congress still out of town
“The nation’s loan program for disaster survivors has fully exhausted its funding, the Biden administration announced Tuesday. And lawmakers, the only ones who can greenlight more funding, are slated to be out until after Election Day.
Without congressional action, the Small Business Administration can’t make new loan offers to people trying to rebuild businesses and homes hit by disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Speaker Mike Johnson has repeatedly said he does not intend to call lawmakers back to town before the scheduled Nov. 12 return, however, saying over the weekend that it would be “premature” to gavel back in to approve emergency disaster aid before states have calculated their recovery needs from the two hurricanes.”
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“President Joe Biden said in a statement Tuesday that Johnson “has promised that this and other disaster programs will be replenished when Congress returns.” He urged Americans to continue to apply for the loans.
Without a refill, the agency must halt all new loan offers but can still do some prep work like initial processing of loan applications.
FEMA, on the other hand, is still expected to have enough funding to last until after Election Day, even though the agency has blown through nearly half of the $20 billion Congress approved for the disaster relief fund in late September.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell warned last week that she might have to pivot to covering only “immediate needs” with money in the disaster relief fund earlier than anticipated.
Criswell has predicted that she would need to switch to that cash-conservation mode in December or January, pausing all long-term disaster recovery efforts like rebuilding on Maui after last year’s wildfires. But last week the administrator warned that she’s “going to have to assess that every day to see if I can wait that long.”
The more than $20 billion Congress cleared before they left in September does not fulfill any of the emergency disaster aid requests the White House has sent over the last year. In June, the White House requested $4 billion in extra disaster funding to respond to tornadoes, wildfires and hurricanes, as well as the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
That unfulfilled request builds on the White House’s year-old plea for Congress to provide $23.5 billion in extra disaster aid.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/15/disaster-loan-program-exhausted-00183784
Donald Trump’s many, many lies about Hurricane Helene, debunked
“FEMA does have a program — Serious Needs Assistance — that gives recipients $750 each if they qualify, but it’s one of many aid offerings that disaster victims can receive.
The barrier to qualify is low, most people affected by the storm are likely eligible, and recipients are not limited to this $750 in support.
Serious Needs Assistance is supposed to provide rapid relief to people who need cash to cover immediate needs like water, food, and first aid. That relief is intended to temporarily help while people wait to hear about approval for other aid programs that could provide more robust funds for larger issues like home repairs.”
https://www.vox.com/politics/376982/trump-hurricane-helene-fema-lies-debunked
Pete Buttigieg says he had a call with Elon Musk to talk about Hurricane Helene because ‘the best thing to do is just to pick up the phone’
“Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he had a call with Elon Musk, despite their differences — because sometimes, it’s just better to get on the horn with someone and clear things up.
On Friday, Buttigieg refuted a series of claims made by the Tesla and SpaceX CEO. Musk had in an X post accused the government of closing the airspace in Asheville, North Carolina, to block recovery efforts.
Musk also blamed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the government’s disaster relief group, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Buttigieg responded to Musk, writing: “No one is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn’t block legitimate rescue and recovery flights. If you’re encountering a problem give me a call.”
The two men then had a chat via phone call, Buttigieg confirmed in an interview with MSNBC’s Jen Psaki released on Sunday.
“He called,” Buttigieg told Psaki. “We had a conversation.”
Buttigieg told MSNBC that some of the confusion on X stemmed from Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), a move by the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure safety for aircraft conducting Hurricane Helene rescue and recovery activities.
Buttigieg said, however, he and Musk managed to get to the bottom of what was happening, and sort out problems for pilots helping to get Starlink equipment to disaster-hit areas.
“We were able to take care of it,” Buttigieg said. “And, I think, to me it’s an example of how often the best thing to do is just to pick up the phone.”
Later on Friday, Musk had a more positive tone while replying to a post from Buttigieg on X about the government delivering additional emergency relief to South Carolina.
Musk said, “Thanks for expediting approval for support flights. Just wanted to note that Sec Buttigieg is on the ball.”
Buttigieg replied, writing: “Glad we could address — thanks for engaging.”
Musk and Buttigieg have had public disagreements over everything from tax credits for electric vehicles to the safety of driverless cars.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/pete-buttigieg-says-had-call-081754462.html