Will FEMA get involved?

Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
There is a county in central Texas, where 76% of its voters went for Trump in the last election. In this county, there is a sallow valley in which the Guadeloupe River Flows. A normally tranquil river. Except when it has what amounts to a tropical rain event. These past few days, the river rose 25 feet in less than a day. A current report says 25 people were killed, something like 26 children from a local camp are missing. 850 people rescued.

There obviously was not adequate warning.

Where is the federal government in all of this? Will FEMA get involved?

Is this a result of climate change?

Do you think it might change the way people in that area are voting?

I think it is one of the worst disasters in Texas.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the deceased and the missing.

But, given the recent track record of FEMA under Trump, I doubt they will be much help.

Might as well build another Alligator Alcatraz.

Comments

  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    edited July 5
    From the UK Guardian a few minutes ago:

    Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary Kristi Noem said the flooding in Texas is “unprecedented,” adding that the federal government will be providing further resources.

    Noem confirmed that various DHS agencies are actively working in efforts, including the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

    She added that the Border Patrol’s tactical unit named BORTAC, a special operations group, is also on the ground assisting.


    My italics.

    Whether or not FEMA will be of much help remains to be seen, surely.
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    From the UK Guardian a few minutes ago:

    Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary Kristi Noem said the flooding in Texas is “unprecedented,” adding that the federal government will be providing further resources.

    Noem confirmed that various DHS agencies are actively working in efforts, including the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

    She added that the Border Patrol’s tactical unit named BORTAC, a special operations group, is also on the ground assisting.


    My italics.

    Whether or not FEMA will be of much help remains to be seen, surely.

    Just a band aide to larger problems. Climate Change, lack of adequate warning systems, etc.

    Just because Noam says the Feds will be coming does not mean it will happen. Heck, South Carolina is still waiting for promised aid from last year's disaster. Even in Washington, there were two small hamlets that never got needed aid during the previous Trump administration--even though the voters in those hamlets nearly all voted for Trump. Trump is known to play favoritism.
  • According to Greg Abbott, prayer is important.

    From the Guardian again:

    “Prayer matters,” Abbott said. Prayers “could have been the reason why water stopped rising”.

    Make of that what you will.
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    According to Greg Abbott, prayer is important.

    From the Guardian again:

    “Prayer matters,” Abbott said. Prayers “could have been the reason why water stopped rising”.

    Make of that what you will.


    Reminds me of the story of Chanticleer. the rooster. Every morning, he thought he could cause the sun to come up every morning when he would crow. True enough, he would crow and the sun would come up. Then one day, he overslept. When he finally got up the sun was already up.
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    The administration wants to dismantle FEMA. I wouldn't be surprised if going forward states in favor with them get federal help and states not in favor don't.
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    Regards Abbott saying prayers stopped the rain. Then why does the hill country continue to be under flood watch? As many as 6 million people can be impacted.

    Several videos and photos of the flooding.
  • mousethiefmousethief Shipmate
    From the UK Guardian a few minutes ago:

    Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary Kristi Noem said the flooding in Texas is “unprecedented,” adding that the federal government will be providing further resources.

    Noem confirmed that various DHS agencies are actively working in efforts, including the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

    She added that the Border Patrol’s tactical unit named BORTAC, a special operations group, is also on the ground assisting.


    My italics.

    Whether or not FEMA will be of much help remains to be seen, surely.

    BORTAC sounds so Soviet.
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    Deal of it is, the Trump administration wants to hand over FEMA responsibilities to individual states. But then something like this happens, and state resources can be quickly overwhelmed. Remember when Katrina hit New Orleans? Could Louisiana have handled it? Not only did Katrina hit New Orleans, but it hit a large portion of the Gulf States from Texas to Alabama, affecting land as much as 100 miles inland. Or how about the Deepwater Horizon blowout? Which state was responsible for that? They are still recovering from that incident.

    The point of FEMA is to bring all the resources of government to bear in the recovery of an area hit by a disaster, be it the hill country in Texas, or the hill country in South Carolina or two small hamlets in Washington State.

    North Carolina is being hit with a hurricane now. Will FEMA respond? Should it depend on the whims of a unstable president?

    Which brings up another issue, NASA is cutting of access to satellite data needed to track hurricanes and other storms.

    And this still does not address the underlying problem of climate change.
  • Does Trump actually believe that climate change is a thing?
    :grimace:
  • ArethosemyfeetArethosemyfeet Shipmate, Heaven Host
    Does Trump actually believe that climate change is a thing?
    :grimace:

    I suspect he has no firm opinion, but knows that climate change denial appeals to many of his supporters. He also hates wind turbines.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    Does Trump actually believe that climate change is a thing?
    :grimace:

    I suspect he has no firm opinion, but knows that climate change denial appeals to many of his supporters. He also hates wind turbines.

    Yeah, if he'd never gone into politics, he'd probably just casually accept that climate-change is real, and would vote for politicians who also believe it's real, though he likely wouldn't be voting based on that issue in particular.
  • Nick TamenNick Tamen Shipmate
    Gramps49 wrote: »
    North Carolina is being hit with a hurricane now.
    No, North Carolina is not being hit with a hurricane now.

    Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall in South Carolina this morning. As it moved toward North Carolina, it fairly quickly weakened to a tropical depression, with maximum sustained winds of around 35 mph. It continues to weaken. It is bringing heavy rain, so flash flooding is a possibility. The main concern at the beach is rip currents.


  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    Thank you for the update, Nick.
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