Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee was President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary during his first term in office. Today, she is appealing her former boss’s denial of a federal disaster declaration request after an outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes ripped through her state.
The same scenario is also playing out in Washington state, North Carolina, and Kentucky. As the Trump Administration begins to move toward changing federal disaster relief policies to shift more responsibility for natural disaster response and recovery away from the federal government and toward state and local governments, Mississippi’s historical status as a “frequent flyer” in seeking federal disaster declarations due to the frequency and severity of such disasters leaves local and state officials nervous. The denial of the Arkansas request on April 11 said the Trump administration had “determined that the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments, and voluntary agencies. Accordingly, we have determined that supplemental federal assistance is not necessary.” Should the change in federal disaster declaration policy make Mississippi state and local officials and taxpayers give pause? In a word, yes. Historically, Mississippi has been a natural disaster magnet. As a matter of record, a WalletHub.com report relying on Census and National Centers for Environmental Information ranked Mississippi first among states most impacted by natural disasters from 1980 to 2023. That same report ranked Mississippi 10th for the most climate disasters, causing $1 billion in damage, tied for first with four other states.
Mississippi has been at least part of the scene of some of the greatest natural disasters in U.S. history – the Great Flood of 1927, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Camille in 1969, Cheniere Caminada in 1893, and two of the worst tornadoes in U.S. history in Natchez in 1840 and Tupelo in 1936. With documented evidence, much has been made of the amazing resilience of Mississippi survivors of natural disasters. From the movement of refugees from the flood waters of the Mississippi River and Yazoo River basins in 1937 to Tupelo’s recovery and rebuilding after a major tornado during the Depression, to Mississippians helping themselves and others after Hurricane Katrina. A February 2025 Associated Press story identified Mississippi as a disaster-heavy state that a former Federal Emergency Management Agency leader called “frequent fliers” for federal aid. About two-thirds of the top 15 states in total FEMA funds, FEMA spending per person and number of federally declared disasters include Florida, Louisiana, Alaska, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Mississippi. Is there any doubt about Mississippi’s status as a so-called “frequent flier” for disaster relief? Flooding is a constant threat from hurricanes in the Gulf and river basin flooding. The state is famously located in the nation’s “Tornado Alley.” Much of the impoverished Mississippi Delta encompasses some of the poorest counties in the nation. The White House counters the objections to his reforms by pointing out what he says are the “failures” of FEMA, saying the agency botched recovery efforts in North Carolina after hurricanes Helene and Milton. A Democratic Florida congressman with FEMA expertise disagreed, telling the Washington Post last month: “Eliminating FEMA will dramatically hurt red states. It will hurt rural areas. It will hurt cities. Places will not recover,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Florida) said, adding that FEMA should be reformed but not eliminated. Moskowitz, formerly Florida’s emergency management director, told the newspaper that FEMA’s existence and functions are written into laws, so it’s unclear how the administration could halt them without congressional approval. For many in Congress, like Moscowitz, the fear is that if states are forced by federal disaster relief shortfalls to make up the difference from state funds, those cuts will come from essential programs like education, Medicaid and mental health programs. Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com.
31 comments:
Like all of the MAGAt universe, Gov. Sanders is shocked when the face-eating leopard decides to eat her face.
Enjoy the increased grocery prices, you dullards. And there’s no better way to OWN THE LIBS than not getting your kids vaccinated for measles.
@8:23, go back to your basement.
Like with the Dept of Education, the reorganization of FEMA is about eliminating the useless, ineffective bureaucracy that hinders recovery and rebuilding and wastes enormous amounts of money. Instead of FEMA mismanaging funding and getting in the way of recovery using bureaucratic red tape and preferred vendors only, the goal is to take the funding stream and give it directly to the States for them to administer. Same with Dept of Education. I believe MS, with its experience, can manage its recovery efforts much more effectively than FEMA. Same for FL, AL, LA, Tx, whoever. Sid’s focus of funding shortfalls is just the typical fear porn peddled by big federal bureaucracy loving boomers who refuse to acknowledge how wasteful and inefficient agencies like FEMA have become.
Arkansas is a fairly wealthy state. Trump is right again, they can handle it. Mississippi is poor and lazy so will always need a handout.
Fiscally, the US is an express train running fast toward a cliff. The deficits and rampant waste has this nation on an unsustainable course. Everyone knew this, but nobody would step up to do anything about it. Uncle Shugga can't be there for everything. Uncle Shugga can't pay the freight every time something bad happens. Trump and his administration are finally, like a breath of fresh air, trying to slow the flow of borrowed federal dollars from the DC pig trough. If any one of us ran our home like the politicians run our country, we'd all have 20,000 maxed out credit cards, and we continue to apply for new ones not thinking about whether the mounting debt will knock on our door one day. It may be too late, but at least they are trying.
8:23, as an employee of Mississippi Today, you should be working on your article documenting the corrupt City of Jackson government. We are still waiting.
States, much like people, should grow up. We cannot continue to borrow money then turn around and waste it or let people steal it. Every time there is emergency of any kind much of the money disappears. Some people become rich or richer than they were. We have to get some control over this habit of borrowing money. Even though we never plan on paying it back. We even borrow money to give to other countries.
Bennie, thanks for checking in.
Right on!
One thing in life that is inevitable is natural disaster. No option. We are evolving the ultra-capitalist government which will protect and sustain only the interests of the richest segment of our society and leave the working class and poor to fend for themselves. In many governmental functions the reduction in spending will be accepted as the fiscally responsible option, but natural disasters are not optional and they happen without planning or warning and when they happen there will be demand for help without compromise. It only depends on the size of the disaster. If those demand go ignored that will create popular demand for a change in our basic capitalist structure. The BIG disaster is always coming.
Be very careful with FEMA.
@8:50 -
Arkansas is the 10th-poorest state in the Republic. Or the 40th-richest.
Is that what you meant by “fairly wealthy?”
@11:30 AM I had to burst your ignorant liberal bubble but we do NOT need government to solve the issues after a disaster.
Two bus loads of Mennonite women and caravans of Mennonite carpenters and workmen can resolve the issues after nearly any disaster. They will do it more efficiently and humanely than any other agency of NGO. States should just keep a fund of a few million dollars to compensate the Mennonites for their expenses. The rest they do for the Lord.
12:01 A few million dollars for the Mennonites? Katrinas, the wildfires and the coming earthquake laugh at "a few million dollars" and a busload of Mennonites. Come again.
It’s pretty funny watching the MAGAs get screwed by the same policies they voted for. The economy is in the early stages of a classic Trump bankruptcy. The constitution is no longer the law of the land. We have no separation of power or checks and balances. Government services are being killed one by one. All these idiots who have a net worth less than 7 figures are finding out just how bad they screwed themselves. Everything Kamala and the democrats said about Trump has come to fruition, it’s hilarious they were actually able to accurately predict the actions of that dementia ridden sack of lard and all the MAGAts can do is put their head in the sand.
Who here remembers Hurricane Sandy?
Do you remember Tropical Storm Sandy? How about Tropical Depression Sandy? Was there ever a "Super Storm" Before Super Storm Sandy? THE storm that ate FEMA's lunch? BIG dollar value property wiped out? Have you ever looked at the details of your homeowners insurance policy when it comes to "Named Storms"? If so, did you question your insurer and get a legitimate answer? I have and never have been given a legitimate answer.
You're probably blinded by your hate of normal people to the point of no return. For you to think this country has gotten to this point because of Trump says more about you than you can ever post about Trump, or his supporters.
"How exactly is a rainbow made? How exactly does a sun set? How exactly does a posi-trac rear-end on a Plymouth work? It just does."
@12:26 The Mennonites basically rebuilt half the MS Gulf coast with that many members of their congregations.
Let rankin county get hit with 3 twisters and watch tater run and suck the dollar bills from his master.
Yes, @1:00, but “We’RE OWniNg THEM LiBS!”
I continue to marvel at what has happened to my former party. Republicans used to believe in free market economics & the rule of law.
Now, they’re a bunch of protectionist morons who whistle past the graveyard of recession. Because Dear Leader.
Rule of law? The RNC officially — in a 2022 resolution — mob violence as a means to contest elections. And they cheered when DEAR LEADER pardoned the folks who sent 150 cops to the hospital on 1/6/21.
There is nothing conservative about the MAGAt cult.
And @1:35…
Anyone who voted for Trump is a moron.
2nd paragraph , last line.......''such severity leaves state and local officials nervous''..........................yeah, right.....they nervous that they may have to go out and do a days work in return for their huge salaries and full benefits package.
every thing FEMA has ever touched has turned into a disaster in and of itself. but the libtards what to keep that way.
A lot of libtards forgot about FEMA and Puerto Rico. They spent so much energy lying and blaming Trump that they forgot FEMA, Democrat politicos and media collusion, plus the PR Governor were entirely responsible for the suffering and humanitarian disaster of that storm. Trump was sending military aircraft full of aid at enormous expense and they just let it rot in warehouse so they could talk shit and blame Trump.
Sid is a lazy journalist turning a mole hill into a mountain to make a political statement. Disasters come and go. States run to FEMA for extra money every time. FEMA frequently determines the damage is not so severe as to justify additional federal dollars. The State then appeals. FEMA reconsiders and sometimes grants extra money, sometimes not. That’s the case here with Ark. initial request denied; Ark has asked for reconsideration. It may yet get federal money. But instead of waiting to see and instead of digging into the request to determine the extent of damage and the money request, Sid makes it into a poor-States-need-FEMA piece. States don’t need FEMA. The each have their own EMA’s. They occasionally need extra money, and by all accounts, the money isn’t going anywhere; only the wasteful FEMA bureaucracy may be.
" the folks who sent 150 cops to the hospital on 1/6/21", AI says your lying about this, but that's what I expect from your kind. I didn't bother checking the rest of your vomit.
mississippi is the biggest beggar there is at the Washington DC doorstep, but it seems there is always money available to grow the size of state government.
Sid sez:
"As a matter of record, a WalletHub.com report relying on Census and National Centers for Environmental Information" .
I'm glad Sid has insider contacts with such very important sources.
Good Lord, he cites's a "walletHub" report based on U.S Census employees ?
Damn Sid ... I'd rather read your thoughts about your beloved Mississippi State Bulldogs firing the Baseball Coach a few days ago.
AR will get Fema money, come on people…Trump bloviates and then folds,
China and Russia have him by the short hairs and are playing him. All he can do is bloviate and say, “but look over here, Greenland looks good!
to 3:35.,,,,you have a case of stage 5 denial............''morons''?...........as the nature boy rick flair used to say....''learn to love it''........all the way till 2029.
Governor Sanders is a serious person, and serious leader. She's also a politician and has to appear like "she's doing all she can" to help those in need. She and Trump are tight - either way, she wins. Either she appears to be fighting for the people, or Trump does fold and gives her help. You had better know that she deeply believes in self-sufficiency and less government involvement in people's lives, but....she would like to get re-elected.
Sid is a status quo big government columnist. Always has been, always will be.
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