Hurricane Helene made landfall on Sept. 27, decimating the Southeast United States and leaving tragedy in its wake. Homes have been destroyed and lives have been uprooted due to the Category 4 storm, one that has made its mark as one of the deadliest, most disastrous hurricanes in American history. And sadly, it wasn’t the last of the 2024 hurricane season; as of Oct. 9, Hurricane Milton is barreling toward the west coast of Florida, with President Joe Biden calling this storm a “matter of life and death.”
While hurricanes have long existed, there is significant evidence that climate change is making them worse, with rising ocean temperatures causing an increase in hurricane frequency and intensity. Considering how closely tied hurricanes and climate change are, as well as all the governmental policy surrounding preparedness and emergency response, hurricanes have become incredibly politicized in recent years.Â
This is especially true in 2024, since hurricane season falls around election time, causing many who are weighing their voting options to ask the question, “How will our future president help with this terrible problem?”Â
It’s not just about hurricanes, either. Natural disasters such as floods, droughts, blizzards, and wildfires are all shown to be getting worse due to the long-term impacts of climate change. So, not only is it imperative to know how both presidential candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, would help the country during these emergencies if they’re elected into office, but also to understand how they plan to mitigate them in the future.
Here are two key topics that relate to natural disasters, and where each candidate stands on them.
Disaster Relief
During any natural disaster, having some form of disaster relief is crucial to minimizing damage and saving lives, which is normally achieved through FEMA, which stands for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an organization under the United States Department of Homeland Security that helps civilians get ready for disasters and provides disaster assistance.
Harris
The White House continues to publish updates on what the Biden-Harris administration has accomplished in terms of disaster relief for the states impacted by Hurricane Helene. Harris has visited a storm-ravaged Georgia, saying the federal government would pay entirely for cleanup costs and to remove debris and the continued effort to restore power, as just a few promises to alleviate the current damage. Harris also recently traveled to North Carolina to speak with local government officials and impacted civilians, staying on the ground and offering support to those affected.
Further, Harris’s past work with FEMA to fund infrastructure has helped offer a form of preemptive disaster relief, which reduces disaster-related losses and protects life and property from damage.Â
Trump
Trump has gone to visit areas affected by Helene and highly criticized the government’s response to the disaster. However, he has also spread false information that FEMA is unable to fund disaster relief following Hurricane Helene because the money went to people “who came into the country illegally.” FEMA has denied this claim.
While Trump continues to lambast the Biden-Harris administration for its response to Hurricane Helene, his own record of dealing with disaster relief has room for criticism. I’m sure we all remember when, in Puerto Rico, Trump threw paper towels at Hurricane Maria victims back in 2018? And while Puerto Rico was reeling from that same disaster, Trump diverted funds from FEMA in an attempt to deport undocumented migrants.Â
Climate Change
According to a Pew Research Study, 76% of Gen Zers say it’s one of their biggest concerns in general. This, combined with the fact that climate change directly impacts the frequency and ferocity of natural disasters — from the size of hurricanes to the duration of wildfires — makes climate change one of the leading issues voters are focusing on in the upcoming election.
Harris
Harris was an early supporter and sponsor of the Green New Deal, a federal proposal to wean the U.S. off fossil fuels and other greenhouse gas emissions, and continues to support clean energy, such as suing big oil companies like BP and casting the tie-breaking vote to pass the Democrats’ historic climate bill. Harris has also focused on implementing policy that provides financial incentives for clean energy projects and creating jobs in clean energy; for example, the Biden-Harris administration has already created 250,000 jobs in energy, with more than half being for clean energy.Â
However, recently, Harris has walked back on her initial stance to ban fracking, which emits greenhouse gasses and releases toxic air pollutants. She now claims the U.S. can grow “a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking.”Â
Trump
Trump has made many statements regarding climate change, from going back and forth on whether or not he thinks climate change is a hoax (his major justification for taking to U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, which Biden later rejoined) or seeming to believe that “clean coal” literally meant taking coal and cleaning it. Trump rolled scores of climate legislation back in his time as president, and his tune has not really changed since his initial term. Trump has recently said his goal is for the U.S. to have the cheapest energy and electricity in the world by increasing oil drilling on public lands — which releases harmful pollutants and chemicals into the air and water — and offering tax breaks to oil, gas, and coal producers.
Every year, it seems like the two leading presidential candidates couldn’t be more different, but the 2024 election continues to break new ground in this regard. Especially when it comes to climate change and disaster relief, Harris and Trump clearly have very different takes, which could end up massively impacting the average American — and not just during hurricane season.