Texas flood protest goes to Washington: ‘No more kids lost to climate disasters’ | Washington DC
TThe blue trunks, roses and blue purple, pink and purple, decorated with yellow roses and other flowers, were placed for the White House on Monday – each representing a child who perished when the Mystic camp in Texas was overwhelmed by a devastating flood.
“We are sweet and angry people and we sing for our lives,” sang a group of activists, including Mothers from Texas, while they were protesting against the deadly consequences of government cups and Donald Trump’s inaction on the climate crisis.
Sudden floods killed at least 135 people during the weekend of July 4. Most of the deaths took place along the Guadalupe river in Kerr county, northwest of San Antonio. States legislators had to discuss the initial response of the authorities and possible improvements to warning systems during a special session on Monday.
The 34 activists who gathered at the Ellipse, south of the White House, held signs that said: “We need warnings, no cuts”, “flood warnings arrived late, the budget cuts came” and “more children lost against climatic disasters”.
They attributed the deaths in Texas not to a natural disaster, but a “avoidable and politically responsible crisis” resulting from the financing of the government of critical agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Weather Service.
The demonstrators, many of whom have direct or indirect links with the victims of the flood, also condemned a broader failure to combat the climate crisis and hold the responsible fossil fuels industry. They demanded immediate policy changes, complete funding for weather agencies and in the event of a disaster and a rapid transition far from coal and oil.
Samantha Gore, who grew up attending a summer camp along the Guadalupe river, where fast -moving waters increased by 26 feet and swept away houses and vehicles, said: “Our hearts are broken to be here today by commemorating the lives of 27 children who should be at home right now, telling the adventures they have had at the summer camp.
“They were not died following a natural disaster. They died as a result of choice – terrible and deadly choices – made by Kerr county officials, made by the State of Texas and made by the Trump administration. ”
Precise meteorological predictions and timely alerts could have saved lives but were hampered by systematic funding, Gore added, noting that, since Trump took up his duties, the Noaa and the National Weather Service have lost more than 600 employees, while weather tank launches, flood modeling tools and emergency communication systems have been suspended or released in many regions.
“These cuts directly affected Texas. The main Meteorological offices in Texas are in sub-employment, including those responsible for the emission of flooding alerts. Local emergency coordination has been weakened due to a reduction in federal support.“”
Trump’s so-called “Big and Beautiful Bill”, adopted by the Congress in time for July 4, will aggravate things, the militants explained, with a reduction of $ 200 million to the Noaa forecast and public alert program. The cuts were inserted at the end of the process by the Senator of Texas Ted Cruz.
Gore, 43, nutritionist in functional medicine who now lives in Brooklyn, New York, said: “”As a mother in the richest country in the world, I should not have to worry every night that I will not get flood warnings in time to save my family because our government has financed our national meteorological service and the Noaa. It’s madness. It’s so dangerous. It is not leadership. It is a combination of cowardice and corruption. “”
Trump and the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, aggressively pushed questions about how local authorities reacted to the forecasts of heavy rains and the first sudden flood reports.
But activists called on Washington to restore any funding at the NOAA, FEMA and National Weather Service, to Abbott to release funds to relieve floods without partisan conditions, so that polluters are held responsible and for rapid energy transition.
Nyeka Arnold, founder and executive director of the healing project, a non -profit non -profit organization in Austin, said: “When humans do not prepare or respond to disasters, we aggravate them. We need more than thoughts and prayers. We need responsibility and that’s why we are here. ”
Arnold called for investments in local communities rooted response systems as well as the financing of infrastructure for flood prevention and climate resilience in historically marginalized neighborhoods. “Emergency planning that focuses equity and not just politics.”
Eileen McGinnis, who launched the parents’ climate community in 2019, said: “Our children are on the front line of the climate crisis and we see that playing in many ways, the big and the small summers no longer have the same feeling of joy and frantic possibility.
“Forest smoke, extreme heat is dangerous for children even to set foot there. Young people who have survived disasters such as recent floods can develop the SSPT, which is aggravated by poverty, repeated exhibitions to disasters or other sources of instability in their lives. The list continues. “
Monday’s demonstration ended with a song of appeal and response: “The people, we get up; the people, we get up; Until the wreckage, we raise; With tears and with courage, we get up; Fighting for life, we get up. “
