Louisiana Voice

Ten of the 11 most devastating hurricanes to strike the U.S. mainland struck either Louisiana or Florida and in two cases (Andrew and Ivan), raked both states while inflicting hundreds of billions of dollars in damages.

The only one not to impact either state was Sandy (Florida suffered damage but did not experience a direct hit), which moved up the Atlantic and made landfall in New Jersey and New York

Four of those – Katrina, Harvey, Ida and Ike hit Louisiana while sparing Florida. Those four combined to cause $462 billion in damages. Katrina, in 2005, of course, was the worst in U.S. history in terms of economic damage, followed by 2017’s Harvey whose tab came to $151 billion.

So, why bring this up now?

First, we’re not officially in hurricane season when the entire Gulf Coast holds its collective breath while thinking I don’t wish bad things on others but please let the next hurricane hit somewhere else.

Second, if you look at the numbers, you’ll see that of those eleven most destructive hurricanes, 10 have occurred since 2005’s Katrina, lending credence to the theory that global warming is producing more dangerous storms.

Third, and perhaps most distressing, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced after last year’s hurricanes Helene and Milton that it was RUNNING LOW ON MONEY to assist those affected by the storms.

Fourth, the Trump administration has announced plans to earmark as much as $450 per year to operate “ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ,” an ICE detention center to be constructed in the heart of Florida’s Everglades. The $450 million is part of $625 million that was set aside for provide temporary housing, food and emergency medicare care for new migrant arrival awaiting court hearings.

Of course, FEMA is only responsible for providing relief in natural disasters; it also works closely with the Pentagon, Homeland Security and other key agencies in order to coordinate recovery and to continue operations of the government in any disaster, natural or man-made.

Still, to announce this kind of expenditure on the cusp of hurricane season seems a bit out of whack, priority-wise.

For whatever reasons, Trump wants to eliminate FEMA altogether.

Perhaps a former Biden DHS spokesperson said it best. Alex Howard referred to the Everglades project as “Desantis’s Little Guantanamo in the swamp.”

“You don’t solve immigration by disappearing people into tents guarded b gators,” Howard said. “You solve it with lawful processing, humane infrastructure and actual polity – not by staging a $450 million stunt in the middle of hurricane season.”

Of course, “stunts” is in perfect keeping of the showman persona of Donald Trump who has never shown any substance in anything he’s done so, why should we expect anything less?

Just remember that when you’ve had to evacuate your flooded home, covered your roof with those garish blue tarps and need assistance. Just don’t expect that assistance to come from FEMA.

It’s broke, after all.