Past Time to Reform FEMA

FEMA desperately needs reform. My earlier thoughts are here but there are a number of solutions floating around Washington that would be an improvement. 

The status quo is fiercely defended by public sector meteorologists, emergency managers and FEMA employees, in spite of the overwhelming evidence that FEMA could stand for "Failing Emergency Matters, Always."

It would be extremely difficult to find a genuine FEMA success story (the way normal people measure success) in the past four decades. I am presenting this analysis because the situation gets more and more urgent. Reform can no longer wait. I detail some of its historical failures here, but there is nothing better than your own eyes. 

Lahaina Wildfires of 2023

This is an aerial photo of the town of Lahaina, Maui in 2022-2023. It was a charming, bustling area full of great restaurants, shops and other commerce. Kathleen and I enjoyed visiting many times. 

On August 8, 2023, Lahaina was ravaged by well forecast (by the NWS), poorly warned and managed (by local government) wildfires that killed more than 100 people. 

This is what Lahaina looks like now.

As we approach the 2.5 year anniversary of the fires little is rebuilt! 

While there are many reasons (Hawaii's blue state bureaucracy is one of them), FEMA has not sped things along. Just about everyone blames FEMA for the glacially slow debris removal. That has been accomplished. Now, please look at this information from Grok:

While I certainly acknowledge and appreciate the historic nature of the city, there's practically nothing left of the historic buildings (i.e., there is no "historic courthouse" to save, it is gone). Take an another  look at the bottom ("after") photo. Do you see construction crews swarming through the city? No! While researching this post, I viewed two recent areal videos of Lahaina -- and construction sites are few when they should be numerous. 

Whether it is St. Louis (tornado), western North Carolina (Hurricane Helene), Los Angeles (wildfire) or Lake Charles (Hurricane Laura) FEMA -- on a "net" basis -- slows rather than speeds recovery.

Hurricane Laura in Louisiana, 2020

Hurricane Laura struck Lake Charles August 27, 2020. Did you know FEMA is still -- nearly six years later -- doling out money for rebuilding on a building-by-building basis?!  

For example, McNeese University is getting $9 million dollars to "replace and renovate buildings damaged by Hurricane Laura." What have those buildings been doing all of this time? There are other buildings listed. We taxpayers are funding things today that should have been accomplished five years ago!

If you think about American politics and the nature of bureaucracy, this -- behind the scenes -- is probably viewed as a good thing. FEMA keeps cranking out "hero to the rescue" press releases and congresspeople keep getting on the news regarding all they are doing for the "folks back home." 

While the above may seem great to the people insulated inside the Beltway, I doubt the disaster's victims like waiting more time than it takes from the birth of a child to kindergarten merely to get a building repaired at a local university! As Nic Hunter, the Mayor of Lake Charles said, the amounts FEMA was providing were "shameful and a pittance" and "too little, too late." He also said, 

For more than 30 years, FEMA has failed over and over again in its most basic mission. It is past time to reform the agency. It should become a logistics enhancement (cutting through red tape) agency (only) in the immediate aftermath of major storms. I used to say it should then manage whatever funds Congress wishes to grant the affection region(s) but I'm afraid that will just cause more waiting around for the feds to do something rather than starting recovery. 

By giving the power, responsibility and some yearly "up front" money to the states, they could:

• Go it alone or form consortiums with other states.
• Purchase "disaster bonds" which, most recently, were successfully used in Jamaica. Instant money when needed the most. 
• Get state regulators back to what they are supposed to be doing: insuring that insurance companies pay off legitimate claims quickly and fairly -- with serious penalties for those that don't. No more insurance companies waiting around to "see what FEMA is going to do."

Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis has shown what real leadership can do in the field of disaster planning and recovery. Other states can take his playbook and adapt it to their needs. 

Regardless, it is time to pronounce FEMA's current mission and method of operation as a failure. Congress needs to move forward on reform -- now.