The area where I live has already been hit by widespread flooding, once in 1983 and again – and much more intense and damaging – in 2016. In the latter event, my own house took on 33 inches of water from the overflowing Amite River. I was one of the lucky ones; some homes were completely inundated up to roofs.
As the sheriff’s flotilla took us away from our flooded home, I actually saw coffins that had floated up from their graves. One resident at least kept his sense of humor. Along with the piles of destroyed furniture, carpeting and other property piled high at curbside, he erected a sign proclaiming his property to be the Yard of the Month.
Not so funny, though, is the stark reality that it can – and probably will – happen again. Climate change has assured us of that dismal fact.
Our home was paid for prior to the flood but I had taken out a small $30,000 mortgage for home improvements and our credit union, which held that mortgage, notified us that we needed to take out flood insurance or they would take it out for us at a cost of $2,000 per year. I checked carriers and the best price I could get for coverage of about $200,000 was the same $2,000 per year so I decided, what the heck, let the credit union take care of it. And they did.
Then the flood hit and I found out to my astonishment that the credit union had taken out coverage only on the amount of the mortgage: $30,000, leaving us holding the back for the balance of damage to my home, which ran to about $140,000. I was never told, by the way, that the flood insurance taken out by the credit union was only for the amount of the mortgage. And I certainly am at a loss to understand why $30,000 in coverage cost $2,000.
So now, we hear about two floods back-to-back. The first was the tragic flood in Kerr County, Texas that has destroyed so many lives. Then, just yesterday, came news of flash flooding in New Mexico, which took more lives. Today, there is a threat of even more flooding in the northeast states.
Somewhere, someone in a real position of authority must realize that these events aren’t random. And, contrary to the claims of wingnut Marjorie Taylor-Greene, it’s not Democrats or anyone else controlling the weather.
Added to the growing concerns of people living in the paths of tornadoes, hurricanes and flooding is the sobering fact that the Trump administration is cutting back on the very agencies whose job it is, or was, to keep us informed of the growing threats from weather events and to help us recover from them.
One member of the Louisiana congressional delegation has recognized this and is speaking out on the dangers posed by climate change and draconian cutbacks to NOAA, FEMA and NWS.
A hint: it’s not Republicans Bill Cassidy or John “Foghorn Leghorn” Kennedy, or Clay Higgins or Julia Letlow, or Mike Johnson or Steve Scalise. You can just forget getting any help from them. Ever.
It’s a Democrat and his name is Troy Carter, a name most living outside Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District won’t recognize and probably never heard – but they should. He seems to be one of only two (Dem. Cleo Fields might be another, but this isn’t about him, it’s about Carter) who actually give a damn about this state.
Carter would, in my humble opinion, make a damned good governor for the gret stet of Loozianer. But that’s not likely to happened in this state because of the color of his skin. That should not be a factor in today’s times, but unfortunately, it is. He has shone more integrity and real concern for his constituents than any Louisiana governor or member of Congress this century.
Carter, in the wake of the flooding, has released a statement that every other member of Congress – and Diaper Don, as well – should read and take to heart.
Here is his statement in full:
“As the U.S. Congressman for New Orleans—and as Co-Chair of the Congressional Disaster Recovery Caucus—I feel a deep and urgent responsibility to speak clearly.
“The deadly flooding in Texas is a sobering reminder of what happens when preparation is ignored and prevention is undercut. Dozens of lives have been lost. Families are grieving. And across the Gulf South, communities are bracing for what could come next.
“This devastation is not just about rising waters—it’s about failed leadership. Under the current administration, we’ve seen dangerous cuts to FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service. Satellite systems that once gave us precious hours of warning have been dismantled. These are not harmless bureaucratic changes—they are life-threatening decisions.
“And now, in the middle of hurricane season, my home state of Louisiana—and others like it—are more exposed than ever before.
“It is unacceptable for President Trump to deflect responsibility while families suffer the consequences. We need accountability. We need action.
“I respectfully call on President Trump and Secretary Noem to:
Fully restore and strengthen funding for FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service.
- Reactivate and upgrade the satellite systems that provide early warning for hurricanes and floods.
- Ensure federal disaster response agencies are fully staffed and mission-ready—before the next emergency strikes.
“This is not about partisanship—it’s about protection. It’s about preparation. And most of all, it’s about people.
“As U.S. Congressman for Louisiana’s 2nd District and Co-Chair of the Congressional Disaster Recovery Caucus, I will continue to fight for the resources, technology, and readiness our communities need and deserve.”
Louisiana Voice 
All the dire warning signs from the cutbacks of Diaper Don’s administration have been coming rapidly since he took office. At some point, the effects of these lopoffs will come to roost in the form of disastrous consequences. Will it be too late? Will that be the point at which his supporters recognize the reality of the MAGA programs? If it is indeed too late, what then?
Is Rep. Troy Carter the only member of Congress bold enough to publicly call for continuation and strengthening of the nation’s weather and emergency alert systems and disaster recovery agencies and programs? While the states along the Gulf of Mexico are at risk from hurricanes, as Rep. Carter noted, the fact is that the Eastern seaboard states have endured more storms than we have over the past several years. All 50 states (and our territories such as Puerto Rico) are subject to devastating natural disasters that require federal assistance for recovery. Few noticed that there was a serious flood in New Mexico at the same time as the Texas Guadalupe River disaster that took over 100 lives.
There is simply no rationale for dismantling national emergency and disaster recovery systems. Of course, considering the source, there is nothing rational about the current occupant of the White House, who has unilaterally decided to destroy lifesaving government systems that (taxpaying) citizens rely on. And we don’t see Congress standing up to the tyrant, who does not have the legal right to destroy government agencies. Congress creates agencies, and only Congress has the power to end them…except that Congress has totally abdicated its responsibility to govern, to protect the people from the depredations of a dictator, and to allocate and spend money for the common good. Rep. Carter appears to be the only member of Congress with the courage to stand up for us.
And if trump thinks that destroying government somehow benefits his wealthy friends, they should all remember that everyone, in all every socio-economic strata, drinks the same water, breathes the same air, and is subject to hurricanes and other storms, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, lava flows, whatever. I suspect that many of those who tragically lost their lives in the Texas flood were more advantaged than average. Parents who are burying their precious daughters paid almost $4400 for a four week session at Camp Mystic. Surely they would have preferred a proper, effective warning system and evacuation plan to planning funerals.
I bet that Kool Aid tastes good. Keep these gems coming.
I will resist any federal court order. Name the governor?
Not sure what you’re talking about. No court orders were mentioned in this story. And your question of what governors was equally discombobulated.
That Kool Aid taste fire
In news which should not surprise anyone the Biden administration awarded Kerr County over $10M which could have been used for a flood warning system but the money was spent by Texas officials on other projects after local residents responded to a survey with comments such as:
“I’m here to ask this court today to send this money back to the Biden administration, which I consider to be the most criminal treasonous communist government ever to hold the White House.”
“We don’t want to be bought by the federal government, thank you very much,” another resident told commissioners. “We’d like the federal government to stay out of Kerr County and their money.”
And then there was this conundrum: “As far as where that money sits for the next year or two, my old law partner John Cornyn tells me that if we send it back it’s going to New Jersey or it’s going to New York or it’s going to … or California,” Kelly said. “And so I don’t know if I’d rather be the custodian of the money until we decide what we have to do with it rather than giving it back to the government to spend it on values that we in Kerr County don’t agree with.”
You can’t make this stuff up. Stupid MAGA fascists have been voting against their own best interest at least since they were pretending to be “principled conservatives” hiding out in the extinct “Republican” party. Ignorance is its own burden and MAGA fascists are crushed under the weight of it.
Source: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/texas-kerr-county-commissioners-flooding-warning/