As the United States faces increasingly catastrophic hurricane seasons year after year due to climate change, the need for improvement to existing infrastructure is greater than ever. This past month, the Gulf and East Coasts saw two hurricanes — Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton — carve paths of destruction through the states of Florida and Tennessee, among others. This has prompted Governor Gregg Abbott to dispatch Texas’ emergency response and recovery resources to the states affected by these disasters.
In a press release from Oct. 7, Abbott announces that “The emergency response resources inbound for Florida have mobilized ahead of impact from Hurricane Milton, while the disaster recovery resources deployed to Tennessee are to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. This deployment is in addition to state emergency response and recovery resources from Texas that remain engaged in support of state and local officials across the Southeast United States following impacts from Hurricane Helene.”
The deployment of these resources to assist the impacted states in their recovery efforts represents a strong commitment from Abbott to assist these states in their time of need. However, while these efforts are noble, it was not long ago that Texas was ravaged by one of the worst hurricanes in recent history; one where the state’s response was lackluster and underwhelming.
In July, Hurricane Beryl swept through the greater Houston area, causing an estimated $1.5 to $4.6 billion in damage according to Houston Public Media. Hurricane Beryl caused extensive damage to Houtson’s power grid. The Houston Landing reported that five days after Beryl made landfall, 1.4 million residents were still without power during one of the hottest periods of the year.
Where was Abbott during this disaster? The Governor was traveling abroad, attending an economic development trip to East Asia, drawing lots of public scrutiny. Critics say that Abbott could have postponed the trip until after Hurricane Beryl passed or shortened the trip once he knew the level of destruction the storm had caused.
However, Abbott decided to stay, leaving Texas in the hands of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. Abbott’s decision had an impact, one that does not sit well with the citizens of Houston impacted by Hurricane Beryl. Abbott and Patrick’s lack of coordination was even scrutinized by President Biden, who claimed there was a lack of urgency on the part of Texas in declaring a disaster declaration that would unlock access to vital federal aid and funding for disaster relief.
While we live in an age where technology allows leaders to respond to disasters regardless of where they are, optics matter. Abbott’s commitment to sending Texas resources to assist other states seems noble, until it is compared to his commitment — or lack thereof — to helping the residents of his own state. Texans deserve better.
