Hurricant

America sucks at disaster preparedness/response

I preface this by saying I am sitting comfortably safe from the impending hurricane Milton. The same cannot be said for millions in its path and, on a personal level, people I care about in the southeast US.

I do write this as a frustrated American and a sad one. Frustrated at the fact that we (USA) are a BIG contributor to the emergence and strengthening of these disasters and sad because we aren’t doing enough to prevent them, aren’t doing enough to protect people they will impact, and largely don’t seem to have a path forward. And in case you think I am veering off of my normal perspective, let me be clear:

CLIMATE JUSTICE IS RACIAL JUSTICE

More on that later, but for now let me just vent a bit about what is happening right now.

As the storm approaches, climate change deniers are blaming everything but climate change for the hurricanes we have seen. Marjorie Taylo…not typing her full name or she might appear..recently implied that democrats create hurricanes and have that immense power. Not speaking for any of the other democratic wizards out there, but if I had the power to conjure a hurricane I don’t think that is where i’d flex that muscle—I’d do something about the wealth gap, homelessness, racism and poverty, or making it where people like MTG weren’t in congress. Definitely NOT creating a storm that would either take lives or change them forever. But sure…

But aside from the HOW let’s talk about the now. First politics again (ugh) but some people are using the most recent hurricane and this one coming to play politics. As I mentioned in my last piece, I HATE POLITICS SO MUCH I STG…..but here we are.

The orange hued presidential candidate is making up lies about the response to the Helene in Georgia and North Carolina (important swing states for the uninitiated) and the sycophants online are bemoaning the $750 available from FEMA. Blaming Kamala Harris who, checks notes, is NOT the President and NOT in Congress…the same congress that, checks notes again, FUNDS FEMA and its programs. And in even more politic—and to get racist— felonious orange is also claiming that FEMA money was redirected from families and given to ‘migrants.’ To that I say, one that is a lie and two…This you?

Yeah, every accusation is a confession. And before you ask, no it wasn’t for anything good.

More disgusting political stuff— Gov. Ron Desantis of Florida has been ducking calls from VP Harris and kinda President Biden just to act like a big tough guy—who also wears heels but no judgement, just an observation from an also not super tall dude— but it is easier to act like the democrats don’t WANT to help if you don’t let them. Granted he DID talk to Biden and got some preemptive declarations done that will help with disaster aid, so that is cool. You will hear it here first though, they will say it is not enough by Thursday.

Okay so politics out of the way. Back to the conundrum.

With a disastrous storm headed your way the safest thing to do is get away. The Tampa mayor even said basically if you are staying in evac zones you will die.

Fleeing is helpful but also hard. Traffic is bad…like bad bad. And that is just those who CAN flee. Fleeing ain’t free. You have to have transportation like a car, you need gas/electric for that car, you need a place to go and stay, etc. None of that is free. And in a country where majority of people can’t withstand a $400 emergency expense, let me tell you those things cost more than $400. Especially with my other issue—price gouging.

Also just a quick note…President Biden asked for Congress to meet now/soon to authorize more funding and the current speaker said —nah we good, let’s wait until after the election.

I am glad a friend of mine had a place to go. Same for my therapist, both are in the Tampa area. But it is not free and easy. I looked at hotels and some in the evacuation routes had skyrocketed to thousands a night. The bed is the same bed it was the other day when it was $175 per night so…what changed?

Same with flights. People who have the luxury and ability to pay for a flight out were surprised with 400% or more markups on flights. Couple of pictures of people posting on these DOMESTIC flights out of Tampa area today:

And a favorite of mine since this kept happening to me this Saturday, price changes WHILE paying:

All of this to say— this isn’t right and isn’t fair. Think about the people who can’t afford this stuff. And to my larger point, with income inequality being what it is in the US and fueled by racism and white supremacy, the more prices go up or the more economics are part of this, Black and brown people will suffer the most. So, again this IS a racial justice issue.

Secretary Mayor Pete says they are taking it seriously but…Dr. Dre don’t just stand there, OPERATE.

We should have a better and more equitable way to evacuate people. We need high speed rail that is free and accessible. The government should take over the airline industry in times of crisis or do something to prevent this. But as Childish Gambino said, this is America.

I have a strong inkling that IF the government tried to do this or instituted strict price controls, a certain group of people funded by billionaires would file am emergency lawsuit. Here is how it would go. They would probably file suit in Texas, Southwest and American are based there, they would get the super Trumpian judge Kacsmaryk who has greenlit all of the greatest hits of the current era and the action would be enjoined (blocked until decided fully) which would get us past, you guessed it, the next hurricane.

So for now what are people supposed to do? I don’t know the answer and I really hope this is not as bad as they say it can be. We need to be a more serious, more equitable country, that doesn’t make it where you are safest if you have privilege. This place sucks.