President Joe Biden, amidst the backdrop of a disaster-stricken house just outside Sunset Park, proclaimed the initiation of a massive $612 million cash injection, supposedly to aid recovery from the devastating effects of Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Clearly, a questionable choice of priorities given the myriad of other pressing matters facing our nation. According to Biden, this allocation will be handled by the U.S. Department of Energy, splitting $47 million between two entities – Florida Power & Light and Gainesville Regional Utilities. In theory, these funds are destined to enhance the grit capacity of our electrical structures. A lofty goal, one might say.
Whether or not these funds will truly help lessen power cut frequency and duration during increasingly frequent harsh weather remains to be seen. It seems somewhat ironic that a large chunk of funding is going to utility companies when countless small businesses and homeowners were ravaged by the consecutive storms. These people are emotionally and physically spent, their costs quickly piling up amidst the disaster. Apparently, over a quarter of a million Floridians have applied for FEMA assistance after the disaster declaration, a record-breaking number. We ought to ponder if magnitude of this response could possibly hint at an administration’s failure to prevent or mitigate such disasters in the first place.
Although Biden promises a whole-of-government response to these calamitous events, the effectiveness of such claims has often been largely debated. One must wonder if the myriad of federal, state, and local authorities who are expected to help, such as FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Defense will truly make a difference or if this is merely more political posturing. We have seen promises before and many have fallen short.
Following the line of official declarations, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm futilely reassured the public about several running projects inclusive of placing power supply lines underground, uplifting power stations that are prone to flooding, and investing in technology to discern power outages prior to their occurrence. Grasping at straws, it appears, given the overall ineffectiveness of these measures in preventing weather-related disasters.
And of course, Granholm was quite quick to mention that these investments won’t stop the inevitable next storm, but will supposedly help with better and faster response and recovery during the coming years. An easy claim to make, perhaps, but questionably reassuring to the countless victims of these recent storms who may face the consequences of inadequately prepared disaster response mechanisms.
Despite the scale of the disaster, FEMA actions seem somewhat meager. They have sent out 1.2 million meals, 300,000 liters of water, and 2 million gallons of fuel. Restoring communication through the installation of 100 satellite terminals is to be applauded, but is it enough considering the magnitude of events? The decision to open 10 disaster sites throughout the state with plans to open more seems rushed at best.
In a seemingly redundant statement, Biden affirmed collaborations with state and local bodies for debris removal prioritization. As if there was an option for anything else, causing some to question whether these statements are performative rather than action-oriented.
Adrian Petrila, Mayor of St. Pete Beach, praised FEMA resources for their supposed ‘lifesaving’ efforts in the aftermath of the storms. A contradiction for many who feel their recovery needs are far from being met, and are left pondering whether Petrila’s allegiance lies with local constituents or with the Biden administration.
Even though Pinellas County Commission Chairperson Kathleen Peters attempted to frame this disaster as a strength-building experience, her comment actually highlighted the severe lack of preparedness and oversights in governmental planning. Is it not alarming that we are making allowances for such disasters becoming the norm and not a dreadful exception?
Biden, choosing to spend his Sunday morning visiting MacDill Air Force Base before getting an aerial view of the sights of devastation, opted for a detached bird’s eye view of the wreckage rather than an on-the-ground understanding of the impacts.
The beleaguered coastline and a ruined Tropicana Field roof left Biden with enough visuals to later recount for political gain. Leaders from both parties including Sen. Rick Scott, U.S. reps Kathy Castor and Anna Paulina Luna, mayors Jane Castor and Ken Welch, willingly joined him during the day, possibly to get their own piece of the politically charged disaster-tour pie.
Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie was also among the officials accompanying Biden on this opportunistic tour. Yet another photo op lacking any semblance of practical action or assistance for those truly affected.
Biden generously acknowledged more than two million customers who had their power restored thanks to first responders and linemen from 43 states. However, he could not resist the opportunity to exploit this natural calamity to plug unity and cooperation among Americans, devoid of political affiliations.
Is it not remarkable to anyone else that it takes a disaster on this scale for us to take care of each other? If only this call for unity and cooperation by Biden could have been put to better use, perhaps we would not need to talk about extreme weather events, widespread power outages, or record-breaking numbers of people in need of FEMA assistance.
The narrative as presented by Biden and his administration, wrapped in the guise of ‘overcoming adversity’ and ‘coming together’, is ultimately a thinly veiled attempt to steer attention away from the clear shortcomings evidenced by the sheer scale of this disaster and the lack of preemptive measures taken.
In the final analysis, the events in the aftermath of Hurricanes Milton and Helene reveal much about our leaders’ ability to prioritize properly, about their readiness to shy away from taking real responsibility for preventable disasters, about their proclivity for hollow press conferences and their inherent preference for political point scoring over proactive problem solving.