Vermont, Many Other States Losing Millions That Would Have Mitigated Future Disasters

Flooded homes in Richmond, Vermont, July, 2023. FEMA
is getting rid of funding nationwide that would help
states like Vermont and many others build resilience and
protection from the next inevitable 
climate-related disasters 

The frequency at which we here in Vermont have had destructive floods in recent years almost makes it seem like we're overdue for another big disaster. 

Thankfully, there's nothing even close to that is in the immediate forecast, but with climate change, future mega-rainstorms and extreme flash floods are inevitable. 

There's been a wise and understandable push to build resilience to future disasters here in Vermont and in so many other places around the nation. 

Predictably, the Turnip Trump administration doesn't think resilience is a good idea because A: They believe climate change is a hoax despite the Everest-sized mountain of evidence suggesting otherwise, and B: This resilience stuff would just benefit us "rubes" that don't matter and won't  further line the pockets of our Glorious Billionaires.  

Reports Vermont Public: 

"The Trump administration announced last week that it's canceling a disaster preparedness program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Stephanie Smith, the state Hazard Mitigation Officer, said Vermont will lose out on the $2 million it received annually from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities fund.

She said the cancelation will also affect $2.7 million in funding that FEMA had awarded to about 40 projects in past years but had not yet been paid out."

Before Trump, we did receive quite a bit of money to help gird against future disasters.

Per Vermont Public: 

"Over the past five years, FEMA's so called BRIC program has allocated about $200 million annually for hazard mitigation projects such as flood control, infrastructure improvements and stream bank stabilization. Smith said most municipalities in Vermont have used the money to update local hazard mitigation plans and conduct scoping studies."

BRIC, of course is, or was, a national program.  It had made more than $5 billion available since 2020 to  help local projects that reduce the impact of disasters, reports the Washington Post. 

The elimination of this program is part of a broader Trump policy of shifting disaster recovery and preparation from the federal government to the states, which of course are often ill-prepared to cover the cost of these huge floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and such. 

Per the Washington Post:

"'For small states, like Vermont and Wyoming, there's very little capability, especially at the local level,' said Erica Bornemann, who served as Vermont's emergency management director for 16 years and now works in disaster consulting. 

'It would take time for them not only to hire and fund the people necessary to respond to small to moderate scale disasters, but also to build a fund to support disaster survivors,' she said."

Predictably, the Trump FEMA people are dismissive of the idea of preparing for future disasters.

Says Vermont Public: 

"A spokesperson for FEMA said in a statement that the BRIC program was 'yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program."

Because spending, say,  $1 to prevent $100 in future damage is supremely stupid, apparently.

The Trump team and FEMA have reported already discussed disbanding the agency by as early as October 1, which would basically leave state and local government adrift if and when disaster strikes.

Moreover,  millions of dollars in already allocated FEMA funding has been frozen since January. Again, per Washington Post:

"Although a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release the funds, at least 19 states have not been able to access the money, according to a filing last week by a coalition of 24 states, including those hit recently by major disasters such as California, North Carolina, Kentucky and Hawaii. On Friday, a federal judge ruled the administration has violated his order by freezing the FEMA grants."

But, under Trump the rule of law is now more, He just blithely ignores court orders, as nobody seems to have the spine to contradict him for some reason.

We're at the height of tornado season now. Devastating flash floods tend to increase in the spring and summer, wildfire season will get roaring soon, and a few months, hurricane season hits in earnest. 

Climate change or not, there will be terrible weather disasters sooner rather than later. Most likely sooner. Trump has already abandoned the storm victims he pledged to help during his campaign. And he will continue to abandon people who will fall victim to storms. 

The result will be extra heartache, financial ruin, homelessness and probably many needless deaths. 

But like I said, Trump couldn't care less about "rubes" like us.  Makes you wonder why so many people voted for him.