As we read and watched the footage of the floods in Texas, we are all horrified and saddened by the devastation. The suddenness and ferocity seemed like another once in a 100 year phenomenon, but we are hearing this explanation all too often. How could we be prepared and minimize such a disaster? We frequently count on public government agencies to predict and give timely warnings. In this case it fell to NWS (The National Weather Service, a part of NOAA -National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency)- one whose staff has been recently recklessly and dangerously cut, not only in numbers but in expertise, all in the “name” of reducing waste and fraud, (but without data to justify it.)
Initially there was lots of finger pointing, but it became clear, the scientists at NWS, short staffed as they were, did the best they could. They issued the warnings all night (1am, 4am, 6 am). Yet as we know it is not just broadcasting a warning that can make a difference, it is how it gets relayed to those who are in harms way. This was a crucial link. Perhaps a better technology would have helped, but it wasn’t in place. It is the people who knew the local climate, geography, towns, people etc., therefore, who provide this link. These were the people who no longer worked for NWS, either laid off or were in early forced retirement. And then sadly when the devastation is receding, our agency that comes to the “rescue”, FEMA, has suffered severe and reckless downsizing and senseless petty oversight of the needed funds, so they too are inadequate to the task.
These are just two recent examples of a policy that recklessly and without the basic knowledge of how agencies operate have made us unsafe and sadly without help. We may think that this is happening someplace else, but with the warming of the climate (regardless of cause) this could soon “come home.” Warm air carries more moisture. Hurricane season is just beginning and is likely to be more active and fierce, and could easily come up the East coast. Also remember the floods of Vermont, tornado warnings in Essex county, etc.
Using a justification of fraud, abuse, inefficiency, cost saving, etc especially without a deep knowledge of a department’s workings is a sham. (I would recommend the Michael Lewis book “The Fifth Risk” to get an idea of what some of the major government departments do. It is truly eye opening and sobering.) My pleasure is that we must, all of us, let congress and the administration know it is “not okay” to hobble or destroy the institutions that we depend on like NOAA and FEMA. It is unconscionable to disband services that save every day lives.
Tom Krueger