Biden’s FEMA is flexing its bureaucratic muscles as Hurricane Milton barrels down on Florida, but one has to wonder whether they’re more prepared for a game of telephone than an actual storm. Deanne Criswell, the head of FEMA, assured everyone that the agency is ready, while also juggling recovery efforts in North Carolina from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Talk about a balancing act—who knew emergency management required acrobatics?
Criswell is packing her bags for a whirlwind tour from North Carolina to Florida. Why? Because nothing says “prepared” like a last-minute visit before a storm hits. It’s almost like she’s taking a victory lap while the rest of the country is buckling down for what’s expected to be a Category 3 hurricane crashing into Tampa. Her urgent message for Florida residents can be summarized as “Brace yourselves, it’s going to be rough.” Like that wasn’t already evident when residents heard the name “Milton.”
FEMA vows to be ready for ‘difficult day’https://t.co/C1OSSyVPfd pic.twitter.com/SsZYXPt4KT
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) October 10, 2024
The backdrop of this chaos is the Biden administration’s struggle to handle emergencies—right out of a playbook of how not to manage disasters. This is particularly amusing given that it’s an election year, proving that Mother Nature has impeccable timing. As Republicans watch from the sidelines, they can only chuckle at how a storm could turn into the Biden administration’s worst weather-related PR nightmare. Who knows—maybe Milton will make an appearance in one of Biden’s campaign ads.
Criswell mentioned that while they are pouring resources into Florida, they aren’t forgetting about North Carolina. Apparently, search and rescue teams and truckloads of meals are headed south just in time for the storm parties in Florida, leaving North Carolina to fend for itself. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could manage a bit of coordination? Maybe a FEMA field trip would help them experience first-hand what the heck is happening back in the Carolinas.
Criticism has been a constant shadow over FEMA lately, especially from none other than former President Donald Trump. The cries from North Carolina officials about not seeing a hint of FEMA personnel must have struck a nerve. Criswell put on her best defense, explaining that just because locals aren’t spotting folks in FEMA jackets doesn’t mean they’re not working overtime in the background. This dodge may fly, but to anyone keeping score, it’s clear that the agency has some serious damage control to conduct—maybe they should consider storm-proofing their reputation as a priority too.