As the Trump administration considers overhauling the nation’s disaster relief agency, a Pew Research Center poll shows most Americans, including Missourians, support more federal help when extreme weather strikes.
The survey comes on the heels of devastating Texas floods that exposed disaster response delays. Missouri saw similar problems in May, when federal aid was delayed for weeks after an EF3 tornado struck St. Louis.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency ultimately distributed $22 million in relief funding to 4,600 households in Missouri. Nationally, many who’ve faced disasters see a bigger trend.
Brian Kennedy is a senior researcher with Pew.
"When we look at this data and what we've seen over the past several years, it's a broad pattern," said Kennedy, "in that you see large shares of Americans say, ‘Hey, climate change has contributed at least a little.’"
President Donald Trump signed off on federal disaster aid for Missouri on June 9 - with FEMA making the declaration official the next day. FEMA staff have been cut by around 20%, and now require a higher-level signoff for contracts over $100,000.
Poll results also reveal that close to 80% of Americans favor tougher building standards in high-risk areas. And Kennedy pointed out that the call for more federal help after natural disasters crosses party lines.
"Large shares of Democrats and Republicans say that it's a good idea to set stricter building standards in these communities," said Kennedy. "And similarly, majorities say it's a good idea for the government to provide financial assistance for people in high-risk areas to rebuild."
In the Pew survey, about 74% of Americans reported experiencing at least one major weather event – from storms or floods, to heat waves or wildfires – in the past year.
The Missouri Public News Service, a partner with KRCU Public Radio, originally published this story.
