FEMA under threat but most Americans want severe-weather help

By Farah Siddiqi

As the Trump administration considers a major overhaul of the nation’s disaster relief agency, a new poll shows most Americans support government help for communities hit by extreme weather. The survey comes amid devastating flooding in Texas that killed dozens and destroyed entire neighborhoods. In Ohio and nationwide, the Pew Research Center poll shows more than 75% of Americans say it’s a good idea for the government to set stricter building standards in high-risk areas - places vulnerable to floods, wildfires and drought.

Brian Kennedy, senior researcher with Pew, said support crosses party lines.

"Large shares of Democrats and Republicans say that it's a good idea to set stricter building standards in these communities," he explained. "And similarly, majorities say it's a good idea for the government to provide financial assistance for people in high-risk areas to rebuild."

This as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem considers renaming or reforming the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, after she ended the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program in April. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, there were 27 climate-related disasters in the U.S. that caused at least $1 billion in damages last year, making it the fourth-costliest year on record.

Survey respondents were more split on other approaches. Half of Democrats agree the government should help cover the rising cost of homeowners insurance in those places, while less than a third of Republicans agreed. Regardless of party affiliation, Kennedy said most people who have experienced extreme weather at least somewhat connect it to climate change.

"When we look at this data and what we've seen over the past several years is the broad patterns in that you see large shares of Americans say, ‘Hey, climate change has contributed at least a little,'" Kennedy continued.

Kennedy added that these are relatively new questions for Americans, and he expects future research will explore how views evolve as severe weather becomes more common.