In late September, Hurricane Helene passed through the Southeastern United States, leaving a path of devastation. The storm caught many officials with their pants down as it caused severe damage beyond Florida.
The impacts of Helene have made people question whether the government is doing enough, according to the Associated Press. There are also misconceptions about the government’s responsibilities when disasters hit. In light of this gross misunderstanding, it is time for a restructuring of the government’s role in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
The impacts of Helene in North Carolina in particular were unprecedented, according to NBC News. Residents interviewed by NBC were frustrated because they believed the government was delayed in its response to get emergency water to Asheville, North Carolina. Residents were also frustrated due to slow responses from the Federal Emergency Management Agency about requests for supplies, and rightfully so.
In a news conference following Helene, Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall said FEMA had its resources concentrated around Florida’s Big Bend region, where the hurricane made landfall, before realizing the impact to North Carolina was severe, according to NBC. Additionally, Jaclyn Rothenberg, a spokesperson for FEMA, acknowledged that FEMA has been experiencing staffing shortages due to an influx of natural disasters demanding more of the workforce amongst other things.
Unfortunately, the disaster has not been enough to stop high-profile political figures such as Donald Trump and Elon Musk from promoting misinformation about the government response, according to Forbes. Some misinformation goes as far as to say the government controls the weather, which has gained plenty of attention on social media. Misinformation has even led FEMA to have temporary pauses in work due to threats and false beliefs. FEMA’s response has not been perfect, which it has acknowledged. Not only does it hurt FEMA when it can not do its job, it is also devastating to those affected by the storm because of what has become a political opportunity rather than a humanitarian effort.
Hurricanes have significant economic impacts on the regions it affects even years after it occurs. Wages become stagnant, and the employment rate first increases then falls following a hurricane, according to a research article by Tatyana Deryugina, economics professor at the University of Illinois.
The federal government has spent over $474 million in Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, according to the White House. While that is nice and all, the average hurricane between 1970 and 2005 caused $4.8 billion dollars worth of damage, according to Deryugina’s research. Due to climate change, the severity of hurricanes will continue to increase, along with costs.
Most people have some kind of home protection, but it is not likely to cover everything. According to the Associated Press, the maximum amount of money FEMA can provide is $42,500 per household, but that does not account for the length of time the claims take to be approved. FEMA, as an immediate response, offered victims $750 for basic necessities, and many critics noted it was not enough, which is correct. It might help people with minor damages to their properties, but it definitely does not help people who lost everything to the storm.
FEMA’s response has two main issues: being ill-prepared in the first place and the $750 handout which is an insulting amount of money, especially for those who lost everything. If the government is going to help, it should do so substantially. In the American Rescue Plan, which was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, eligible individuals received at least $1,400 according to the United States Department of Treasury. Considering there are fewer individuals to provide aid to and inflation since 2021, it would not be unreasonable to increase the handout to $2,500. For some, no amount of money will be enough, but $750 is abysmal.
FEMA allocates 40% of its budget to deal with previous disasters, ensuring a similar disaster, if it occurs, will not be as catastrophic, according to the Associated Press. What happened in North Carolina is considered to be a once in a generation event, if not even further spaced in time. The odds of it happening again in our lifetime is relatively low. If FEMA is so strapped for cash, maybe it should consider dropping the budget for previous disaster management to 35% or less.
The government can do more. Compared to the military budget or the amount of aid the United States spends on foreign affairs, natural disasters seem cheap for the government. There should be some kind of social program in place for at least 10 years following an event to help with the economic impacts. Maybe it is time for reform.
