So long, FEMA...
Federal disaster relief for Virginia? Nope, says Wittman
Wittman voted to strangle FEMA to death. VA will be less prepared for disasters, and have fewer resources to deploy when disaster strikes. Wittman's latest "announcement" makes it sound like Papa Trump is throwing money like confetti so everything will be fine. But the truth is much more sinister and scary.
FEMA serves two main functions: help the country avoid disasters by adequately preparing infrastructure and systems; and rapidly aid recovery after disasters strike by deploying resources and aid. Both of these functions will be basically eliminated by Trump. For example, these programs are all cancelled:
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding
Next Generation Warning Systems
Federal Flood Risk Management Standard
BRIC and the NexGen Warning funding could have saved Kerr County, if they'd taken it. Now nowhere will have the opportunity to protect themselves unless their statehouses act - and with far less money than before.
Virginia faces particular challenges under this new approach:
Coastal exposure to hurricanes and flooding
Complex urban-rural emergency management needs
Military installations requiring specialized federal coordination
Interstate transportation corridors
Funding delays for VA Dept of Emergency Management
Local counties losing $$ for resilience projects
Payment delays to local governments extend suffering
Reliance on FEMA's disaster coordination support
Wittman/Trump aim to:
Eliminate key mitigation programs that prevent disasters
Reduce federal surge capacity for overwhelming disasters
Replacing unified federal response with fragmented, state-led efforts
Replace direct disaster response with grant funding that will suffer from bureaucratic delays
Increase state responsibility without proportional resource increases
This $2.6bn funding is classic "lipstick on a pig." Wittman knows he's making #VA01 more vulnerable to disasters. People will die, lose their homes, lose family, and lose jobs, and our coastline — which Wittman claims to treasure — will be more susceptible to flooding.
Whenever disaster strikes Virginia in the future, Wittman will be the cause of our collective suffering.