Disaster Recovery Cannot Depend on Presidential Whims

As hurricane season begins, Georgians should understand a dangerous truth: disaster recovery depends not only on the strength of our communities, but how the government decides to respond. Will they choose competence, compassion and accountability or cruelty, neglect and political retribution? Across the South, we’ve seen both responses, often in the same state for the same disaster. I grew up in Mississippi and came of age in Georgia, and I’ve personally seen the difference.

Here in Georgia, we have experienced nine federally declared disasters since the pandemic. These weather events—tornadoes, hurricanes, tropical storms, winter storms—create damage on a scale that means affected communities cannot recover alone. We survive and rebuild by pulling together and martialing a response that includes state and federal resources. When we do it right, we are more resilient so that our communities are less vulnerable to future disasters.

A familiar chain of events follows disaster. In the immediate aftermath, true stories abound about the best of our neighbors and what our society can do. We rush to help one another with basic necessities, we rally around impacted communities with donations, and we promise to be with them every step of the way as they recover. Soon, the news cycle moves on. That’s often when only government intervention can move the work forward, but then the pace of recovery tends to slow dramatically. Rebuilding our homes and infrastructure can take years, and the process of accessing the funds needed to recover is agonizingly slow. 

The problem we are now facing is that while the science is clear in showing that a warming climate is causing more dangerous, more frequent, more costly disasters, our government capacity for disaster response is shrinking and largely dependent on an autocrat’s whims.

FEMA, the agency responsible for immediate disaster response and long-term recovery support, has been pushed into instability.The agency has lost experienced staff, leadership posts have gone unfilled and critical preparedness programs have been canceled, frozen or delayed. These are the very programs that help state and local governments prepare before disaster strikes: strengthening infrastructure, reducing flood risk, hardening public facilities and making communities more resilient. And it’s no wonder the agency is losing its footing: President Trump has expressed a desire to shutter the agency altogether and push the burden of disaster recovery onto the states alone. 

Even when federal aid exists, communities cannot access much of it unless the president approves a disaster declaration. That means one person can determine whether families receive emergency supplies, whether local governments can begin rebuilding and whether communities can access long-term recovery dollars. In the hands of a responsible leader, that authority can speed relief. In the hands of an authoritarian leader, it can become another instrument of control.

Since taking office for the second time, Trump has denied at least 23 requests for aid from states, many from Democrat-led states, and left many more unanswered. With disaster declaration powers, Trump can decide whether or not you and your neighbors have short term assistance like generators, bottled water, or agents to help you with filing cumbersome requests for more assistance. His decision also determines whether or not your community will be eligible for the long term assistance that comes to communities via block grants. 

Sadly, the president, aided and abetted by Congress, is willing to let Americans suffer as retribution for leaders who disagree with their policies. Sometimes, responses are unnecessarily delayed, leaving even citizens who have supported him to wonder if help or when help is coming. 

Republicans’s collective lack of concern in the wake of disasters has already impacted Georgians this year. When a winter storm hit eight counties this January, Georgians waited 78 days to be told there would be no disaster declaration and no federal assistance, despite a Republican governor making the ask. 

So much of our ability to recover from disaster could be determined by someone who is animated by revenge and petty grievances. Worse, it can be exacerbated by powerful legislative leaders who refuse to publicly hold their party accountable. Autocracy may start with one man, but authoritarianism often has a cheering section. In a state where Republicans in Congress outnumber Democrats, and Georgia has healthy representation in the federal cabinet, delays and denials are more than cruelty. They are complicity in action. Legislative leaders must resist the propaganda that would shift responsibility for natural disaster recovery to states, municipalities, and people already suffering. Appointed officials from the Small Business Administration to the V.A. must muster the courage to point out that a failing economy means that building and fortifying our local networks of care is more important than ever. They asked for power – now they must use it for the people at home.

But we can’t wait for politicians to save us. This year, hurricane preparedness needs to stretch far beyond buying enough batteries and bottled waters for our household. To prepare for dangerous weather, we must strengthen our communities with networks of care. Engage with your city and county governments and ask about their disaster readiness in light of decreased funding for emergencies. Nonprofits and grassroots organizations working locally are an indicator of community resilience; invest time and resources in supporting their missions. Find and join local mutual aid networks. Get to know your neighbors and talk about how you can pool resources in the event of disaster. We can only survive natural disasters the same way that we survive authoritarianism, economic hardship, or anything outside of our control: by working together to survive and then rebuild something better.