The devastating floods and tragic deaths that occurred in Central Texas earlier this month are a glaring warning sign of what’s to come in the months and years ahead—not just additional natural disasters and heartbreak but a huge societal toll from President Donald Trump’s reckless assault on the federal workforce and critical programs and services affecting every aspect of our lives.
Rather than strengthen the government’s ability to help communities deal with hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and wildfires, the administration has made nonstrategic staffing and budget cuts at critical federal agencies involved in predicting and responding to natural disasters that include the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Forest Service.
Nothing could have stopped the Guadalupe River in Central Texas from flooding, but it is likely that a more robust response and better planning at the federal, state, and local levels might have reduced fatalities and lessened the impact.
