Hurricane Milton: Leaders Play Politics At Expense Of Floridians Amid Environmental Justice Concerns

Hurricane Milton has quickly transformed into a powerful Category 5 storm barreling toward Florida one week after the Category 4 Hurricane Helene slammed into the Sunshine State.

This much is a fact that everyone can agree on.

But in an election year, as we find ourselves now, politics is apparently taking precedence over all else as Democrats and Republicans appear to be using Hurricane Milton to jockey for partisan position at the ballot box despite lingering concerns about environmental justice during the storm’s recovery.

Politics as usual?

Case and point: Vice President Kamala Harris’ allies have accused Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of ignoring her calls that are purportedly being made to offer federal assistance to the state in preparation for and in advance of the recovery from Hurricane Milton.

Karine Jean-Pierre responds to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis refusing a phone call from Kamala Harris about Hurricane Milton:

"If you have the president and you have the vice president reaching out to offer up assistance… it's up to [DeSantis] if he wants to respond to us or not." pic.twitter.com/7vmTA69i1d

— The Recount (@therecount) October 7, 2024

Bringing attention to that claim paints Harris in an authoritative light likely meant to bolster her standing in Florida as a presidential candidate less than a month away from Election Day.

Reporter: There are reports that DeSantis is ignoring your calls..

Kamala Harris: Playing political games at this moment…It's utterly irresponsible and it is selfish and it is about political gamesmanship instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do pic.twitter.com/lySDD98xO9

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 7, 2024

DeSantis, naturally, has refuted that characterization and emphasized how little power Harris has as vice president by claiming he’s instead been in touch with President Joe Biden — steps likely taken to portray Harris as weak and ineffective in a swing state expected to play an outsize role in the 2024 presidential election.

In the meantime, the people of Florida are seemingly being relegated to being political pawns in a would-be Game of Thrones to show who wields the most power at a time when the best interest of the people should be prioritized.

What may get lost in the political sauce here is the fact that meteorologists are warning that Hurricane Miton is among the most powerful storms on record amid mass statewide evacuations that are leaving Florida residents with few options to seek refuge.

Who is to blame for that circumstance, you ask?

Well, Democrats will point to how House Republicans who have voted to defund the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which as a result is currently experiencing what the New York Times called a “severe staffing shortage.”

Hurricane Milton is about to hit Florida. Here are the 11 Florida House Republicans who voted to defund FEMA: https://t.co/fkL6uhtEWY pic.twitter.com/1VnsImEk3b

— PatriotTakes (@patriottakes) October 7, 2024

DeSantis, on the other hand, representing Republicans, denied that not taking Harris’ call was a political act before he went on Fox News Monday night to return the vice president’s accusation that he is being “selfish.”

Who is affected the most by hurricanes like Milton?

Regardless of which elected official is “right,” here is one fact that seems to be getting overlooked: When severe storms strike, disadvantaged communities are routinely among the last — if not the last — to recover.

Specifically, hurricanes like Milton disproportionately affect Black neighborhoods because of what experts say is environmental racism.

There is an extra element of fear for Black folks during hurricane season. Even though hurricanes don’t specifically target Black communities, their lasting impact always seems to affect Black people the most. 

When Hurricane Harvey flooded Texas in 2017, the southwest Houston neighborhood that suffered the worst flood damage was 49% nonwhite. 

In 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated southeast Louisiana, African American neighborhoods suffered the most damage. 

As climate change intensifies, so will hurricanes, which leaves minorities and low-income residents more vulnerable. These populations do not have the resources to sustain themselves after such a massive natural disaster. Many do not have the opportunity to pack their bags for another city and wait out the storm. They also don’t have the income flexibility to rebuild after a storm takes everything. 

“Urban flooding is a growing source of significant economic loss, social disruption, and housing inequality,” Texas A&M University flood expert Sam Brody previously told E&E News.

VP Harris has previously highlighted the importance of equity in disaster relief.

Environmental racism

Many experts point to environmental racism for flooding in the U.S. “disproportionately harming African American neighborhoods.”

Environmental oppression dates back to America’s racist redlining practices in the 1930s. The Great Depression lead to historic housing practices which allowed banks and insurance companies to color-code residential maps of U.S. cities, distinguishing neighborhoods largely based on race. Black neighborhoods were color-coded ‘red’ and deemed hazardous or low value. This also allowed banks to control where Black families lived in cities throughout the country by only allowing them mortgages in “redlined” areas, many of which are still predominately Black and still largely ignored when it comes to infrastructure.

According to Nature.com, research that tracked assistance from FEMA to people whose homes were damaged by hurricanes from 2005 to 2016 found that inspectors were less likely to visit areas with more Black residents, denying them a chance to apply for assistance. 

Those Black families who were able to apply were denied without reason almost three times as often as white homeowners.

As Hurricane Milton reaches Florida, remember who suffers the most. The destruction from hurricanes is never equally distributed.

SEE ALSO:

In Hurricane Season, Disaster Recovery Must Be Equitable And Just

Why Do Hurricanes ‘Disproportionately’ Harm Black Neighborhoods?

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