The Politics of Hurricanes By Hank Silverberg Everything is politics these days. Since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in August of 2005, much has been written about the response of the federal government to natural disasters. Has Congress allocated enough money? Was the response quick enough? Did those in high office show enough concern about the victims? These are all legitimate questions for the press, the public, and the government itself to review. The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has been restructured several times since Katrina left hundreds of people stranded in the New Orleans Superdome without proper supplies or facilities during the 2005 disaster. And both the Bush and Obama Administrations responded much better to subsequent storms. But somehow the current administration can’t seem to do so without bringing its bizarre view of the world into it. As Hurricane Florence approached the east coast this past w