BY TAYLOR FARNSWORTH
President Trump may have praised his administration’s response to Hurricane Harvey, but only weeks before he had revoked Obama’s executive order that was put in place to establish a federal flood risk management standard and process. The President promised to build up Houston to be “bigger and better,” except his words don’t quite match his actions.
While the people of Texas are encountering devastation and loss, the President sits in the safety of the oval office cutting programs geared towards helping and preventing future natural disasters. In March, Trump’s administration put out their proposed budget for the following year which consisted of multiple cuts towards the funding of preparedness efforts for national disasters. Funds would be cut from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the National Weather Service (NWS), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Despite Trump tweeting that FEMA was “doing a great job” in their response to Harvey, his proposed budget will cut the already 23 million dollar in debt organization by 11 percent. This will cut hundreds of millions of dollars to FEMA that the organization uses to help assist states in preparation for flooding and natural disasters. The budget also intends on cutting funding towards FEMA’s flood mapping program which allows developers to determine what standards need to be met to build in locations that are at risk of enduring natural disasters.
Obama’s executive order was put in place two years after Hurricane Katrina happened back in 2005. The primary focus was on rebuilding communities after floods to be able to withstand the impact of future natural disasters. However, this executive order was perceived by some Republican’s as an effort to rebuild communities to withstand the possible implications that would come from increasing climate change risks. Given that Trump is a non-climate change believer, the executive order seemed foolish to keep in place. Regardless of the fact that the severity of Harvey is a result of climate change, Trump and his administration remain in denial. Without Obama’s former executive order in place, we will be rebuilding communities that will not be able to withstand future natural disasters that will inevitably come. Trump says “bigger and better,” but revoking Obama’s executive order that would do just that is rather contradictory.
Climate change experts argue that sea levels are beginning to rise and with that will come more serious and recurring flooding. Obama listened to these experts while he attempted to work with communities in areas that would directly be affected by this by requiring the elevation of buildings in flood zones. But Trump is insistent on cutting funds towards any program or organization that even slightly correlates with climate change efforts. NOAA will lose 200 million dollars in a multitude of programs that allows states to prepare for future climate change disasters. Trump’s budget also proposes completely eliminating HUD’s three billion dollar Community Block Grant Program which gives money towards communities after a natural disaster hits. If Congress is to approve the elimination of HUD’s Community Block Grant Program, then it will become unclear where and how disaster recovery money will be delivered to places in need.
Climate change is happening, Hurricane Harvey shows us this. Creating policies that work towards preventing the devastation of natural disasters and preparing communities to endure them is more cost effective than simply cutting the funding to those organizations. Being able to reduce the risk of natural disasters from completely destroying communities is more cost effective than simply rebuilding communities to the same state they were in beforehand. For the President to tweet that he has witnessed “first hand the horror & devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey,” and still propose a budget that deducts funding towards preparing communities to withstand natural disasters, as well as rebuilding higher and stronger buildings after a disaster, makes little to no sense.
