Cutting FEMA is a disastrous idea

President Donald Trump has said more than once he believes the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be downsized or eliminated.

And it’s become apparent that the Trump administration is making his reckless, shortsighted vision a reality.

"I say you don't need FEMA, you need a good state government," Trump said in January as he surveyed wildfire damage in Los Angeles. "FEMA is a very expensive, in my opinion, mostly failed situation."

Of course, here in Cedar Rapids, we learned the importance of FEMA assistance in 2008. Two deadly tornadoes hit Parkersburg and the Little Sioux Scout Camp in western Iowa. Then came epic flooding, including the devastating Cedar River flood that swamped core neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids.

That year, 84 of Iowa’s 99 counties were declared federal disaster areas eligible for federal help. By April 2009, FEMA reports public assistance to Iowa totaled $651 million for emergency response, debris removal, repair of damaged public infrastructure and other projects.

FEMA’s total spending in Iowa in the wake of tornadoes and flooding was $848 million. At the time, it was the sixth largest FEMA disaster declaration in history.

The notion that the state of Iowa could have shouldered the disaster burden then and now is a ridiculous notion. State government simply can’t afford to respond with the money and human resources FEMA uses to deliver disaster aid.

Since 2008, Iowa has had 36 FEMA disasters. Dealing with a single event is one thing, but expecting states to cover multiple disasters, some occurring in the same year, is a financial fantasy.

It’s obvious but not to the president or Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has said she will work to “eliminate” FEMA. Disaster assistance already is being rolled back.

FEMA denied a request for help from Arkansas Go. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to deal with the aftermath of deadly storms that killed three and injured 32.

“Given the cumulative impact and sheer magnitude of destruction from these severe weather events, federal assistance is vital to ensure that state and local communities have the capabilities needed to rebuild,” Arkansas’ all Republican congressional delegation wrote in a letter to Trump, who won the state with 64% of the vote.

Trump has recently denied requests for extended disaster help from Washington state and North Carolina, devastated by Hurricane Helene. FEMA also has rescinded promises to pay Denver and other cities who housed thousands of migrants.

Perhaps the most shortsighted cut is the elimination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, which offered local grants for projects preparing them for future disasters.

It’s hard to fully describe how destructive FEMA cuts will be for Americans hit by nature’s fury. With climate change playing a role in more extreme weather events, this is a particularly bad time to make things worse by cutting off critical aid to states and communities. Congress must act, and it should be bipartisan.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com