IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU

Most of us think that extreme weather disasters could never happen to us. We see the images on social media of hurricanes, wildfires, torrential flooding, and feel empathy, thinking how tragic it is for others to experience these terrifying events. 

But here are some facts that might surprise you about the times we live in:

• Nearly 1 in 5 Americans have fled their homes in a disaster, 
• Half of all Americans have experienced extreme temperatures in the last few years, 
• 94% of Americans live in a county that’s received FEMA disaster aid since 2011, and
• Nearly every single person in the country received an extreme weather alert last year. 

The numbers are pretty clear: it could, and very well might, happen to you. But your next weather alert might not come in time.

Now, that’s not something we say lightly. We’ve got the receipts:

• Trump has proposed $1 billion in cuts to federal disaster preparation and response, making communities “more vulnerable to catastrophic incidents.”
  • The proposed cuts include ending a program that helps communities plan and train for disasters, which will leave first responders and emergency management officials unprepared and undertrained. 
  • Trump aims to eliminate funding to improve the public alert and warning systems for severe storms, giving you less time to prepare or react to incoming weather events.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has lost about a quarter of its full-time staff, including senior leadership like the head of the storm response center. And Trump’s new head of FEMA didn’t even know the US had a hurricane season. You can’t make this stuff up.
• After helping GOP-led Texas (albeit slower than normal due to cuts), the Trump admin denied FEMA aid to Democrat-led Maryland.
  • We’ve seen this before in Washington (more than once), using disaster aid as a bargaining chip in California after devastating wildfires, and delaying critical disaster response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico due to a lack of sufficient support for Trump.
  • Not to mention that Trump’s admin has made it harder to qualify for disaster aid just as hurricane season began. 

So if it does happen to you, to your loved ones, to your neighbors, you hope to rely on emergency services ready to respond. You expect your government to be looking out for you. However, dangerous cuts to critical programs and agencies are leaving first responders underprepared and understaffed, while aid is being distributed based on favoritism, rather than need. 

These are only a few examples of the harm this administration has caused and the havoc they’ll continue to wreak through these dangerous budget and staffing cuts. 

We cannot allow Trump and his allies to play political games with our ability to prepare and recover in the face of disaster. Remember, Asheville, NC, was a “haven” from extreme weather disasters until Hurricane Helene last fall. We are all at risk. It could happen to any of us. That’s why we need to make sure we’re prepared.

At Climate Power, we’re fighting the climate denial and political games the administration is playing, and making sure American families know the stakes. Add your name below to join the fight ↓