'Totally out of luck': How Project 2025 would gut relief for Hurricane Helene victims

01 October 2024

Hurricane Helene has killed dozens of people and left a swath of billions of dollars in damage across multiple states. One report is now detailing how different the federal response would be if Project 2025's policy recommendations were put into action.

According to Politico's E&E News, should a hurricane like Helene happen under a potential second Trump administration, many victims of the storm would simply be on their own. The 922-page policy blueprint recommends crippling cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) budget, which would severely hamper disaster preparedness and the federal government's ability to provide relief. And it would also notably phase out the government-funded National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and leave flood insurance to the private sector (Full disclosure: This author is a licensed flood insurance adjuster who has previously handled NFIP claims).

“The poorest among us would never have access to flood insurance. They would be left out, totally out of luck and not be able to rebuild," Brett Hartl of the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund told E&E News.

Ken Cuccinelli, who was a top Department of Homeland Security official in former President Donald Trump's administration, authored the two-page section on FEMA for Project 2025's "Mandate for Leadership" document. He wrote that the goal of the next Republican president should be "shrinking FEMA and focusing on its mission of backing up states."

"People think of it as a first responder. It’s not a first responder," Cuccinelli wrote, adding that FEMA should instead focus on "large, widespread disasters."

Should the NFIP be phased out and left to private insurers, it's likely it would lead to the same conditions that led Congress to pass the National Flood Insurance Act in 1968. Prior to the act's passage, private insurers largely refused to insure flood-related losses due to how costly floods were and how frequent they were along the Mississippi River. And even with private insurers currently freed from having to cover flooding, homeowners are still frequently lodging complaints about private insurance companies refusing to pay for damages they agreed to cover. In the wake of Hurricane Ian in 2022, State Farm was the target of multiple complaints for refusing to pay for wind-related damages.

Another Project 2025 recommendation is to significantly shrink the National Weather Service (NWS), and commercialize the forecasts it currently provides for free. University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann told E&E that the NWS would be unable to fulfill its mission of providing timely and critical weather alerts for Americans free of charge, adding that the proposal "would create all sorts of confusion, uncertainty [and] disruption" for the NWS' National Hurricane Center in particular.

During a recent campaign appearance in Valdosta, Georgia, Trump slammed President Joe Biden's administration and alleged a federal response was inadequate because Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris weren't on the ground. Some journalists noted that Trump's appearance required a significant diversion of critical resources from first responders in order to provide sufficient security for the former president.

Meanwhile, the White House issued a fact sheet detailing the federal resources that have been deployed in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which includes roughly 3,500 personnel and high water rescue equipment like specially outfitted trucks and helicopters. The Biden administration also approved a federal disaster declaration in the affected states, which allows them to access federal funds and other resources.

"FEMA assistance in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina may include a one-time $750 payment to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies," the White House stated. "After registering for disaster assistance, individuals may also qualify to receive disaster-related financial assistance to repair storm-related damage to homes and replace personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay."

Click here to read E&E News' report in full.

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