The Trump Regime Is Making Disasters Worse

[Celerity]

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem sat atop millions of dollars in flood prevention grants while the West Coast was being inundated. Now she’s slashing FEMA disaster response staff.

https://prospect.org/2026/01/09/trump-regime-making-disasters-worse-dhs-noem-fema-flooding/


Portions of a neighborhood are flooded, December 12, 2025, in Burlington, Washington. Credit: Stephen Brashear/AP Photo

Could last month’s catastrophic flooding damage in the Pacific Northwest have been prevented? There’s a certain amount of wreckage that’s bound to occur when an atmospheric river dumps five trillion gallons of water on a region in a week. But did things have to be so bad? Absolutely not. At least some of the destruction could have been avoided with forward-thinking investments in risk reduction. And every ounce of prevention matters when people’s lives, homes, and the fate of entire towns are at stake.

Unfortunately for all of us, the Trump administration is directly undermining efforts to protect American communities from ever more common and extreme weather events. Beyond the future adverse effects of the White House’s climate denialism, there are also steps that President Trump and his minions are taking to exacerbate the consequences of severe weather right now.

Take, for instance, the Trump administration’s rejection of efforts to adapt to the reality of our changing climate and fortify communities ahead of storms. Proactively minimizing the likelihood and scale of disasters is crucial to responsible emergency management. It preserves lives and property while making response and recovery a lot easier and cheaper, too (saving $6 to $13 for every $1 invested).

California also endured atmospheric river–induced flooding in December and January. Two weeks of torrential downpours—from San Diego to San Francisco—caused mudslides and killed at least three people. Recent flooding up and down the West Coast perfectly illustrates the importance of disaster mitigation and preparedness. However, the Trump administration has been unraveling both.

snip