THE federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene was atrocious and could be costly for the Democrats heading into the final stages of this election cycle, a former Republican official has warned.
Hundreds were killed, and thousands of people are still without power weeks after the storm wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States.
Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden could be losing favor because of the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene, a former Republican official has warned[/caption]
The warning comes as drivers in Florida are escaping the path of the incoming Hurricane Milton[/caption]
Former President Donald Trump is looking for advantages over his incumbent opponents[/caption]
Hurricane Helene left more than 200 people dead after it made landfall in Florida before devastating communities in Georgia and North Carolina.
Now, Floridians are bracing themselves as Hurricane Milton barrels toward the Sunshine State, potentially sparking 15-foot-high storm surges that could threaten hundreds of thousands of homes.
James Davis, a former communications director for the 2012 Republican National Convention, warned how certain communities feel left behind and explored the potential electoral impacts the storms could have.
“The politics around this could be really devastating for the White House,” he told The U.S. Sun.
“You saw this in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and I can only imagine that this has not yet paid its true toll on the electorate.
Davis revealed a potentially slow federal response could contribute to sinking Harris’ campaign.
“Why has she not been on the ground in these communities throughout?” he asked.
“I just don’t understand because she’s looking at polling in Wisconsin and Michigan, areas which have been the blue wall for Democrats, and it appears that wall is crumbling.”
He believes Georgia, a state Biden clinched in 2020, and North Carolina, a state carried by Barack Obama in 2008, could be out of play for Harris.
“Given their response to this hurricane, I cannot see that they’re anywhere in play for them. It’s been really atrocious,” he said.
Davis warned that the storms could deliver serious political ramifications for the Democrats.
“It drives a national narrative of ‘Where are you spending your time?’” he said.
“You might live in one of those Rustbelt states but have friends or family in the southeastern United States and they’re sitting down there saying ‘Everyone has forgotten about me.’
James Davis, a former communications director for the 2012 Republican National Convention, warned how certain communities feel left behind and explored the potential electoral impacts the storms could have., , The politics around this could be really devastating for the White House, he told The U.S. Sun.[/caption]
Hurricane Milton advances towards Florida in a view from Dragon Endeavor docked with the International Space Station October 9, 2024. Matthew Dominick/NASA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. THIS PICTURE WAS PROCESSED BY REUTERS TO ENHANCE QUALITY[/caption]
Broken utility poles downed by strong wind gusts are seen as Hurricane Milton approaches Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. October 9, 2024. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo[/caption]
FLORIDA, UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 09: Hundreds take shelter at Virgil Mills Elementary School ahead of Hurricane Milton, in Palmetto, Florida, United States on October 09, 2024. People spent the night at a school with their pets, sleeping on air mattresses. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)[/caption]
Waves crash along St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Florida, as Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall tonight on October 9, 2024. Milton regained power on October 8 to become a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 kph) as it barrels towards the west-central coast of Florida and is […][/caption]
What is a hurricane and how do they form?
A HURRICANE is another name for a tropical cyclone – a powerful storm that forms over warm ocean waters near the equator.
Those arising in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific are called hurricanes, while those in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean are dubbed typhoons or cyclones.
North of the equator they spin anticlockwise because of the rotation of the Earth, however, they turn the opposite way in the southern hemisphere.
Cyclones are like giant weather engines fuelled by water vapor as it evaporates from the sea.
Warm, moist air rises away from the surface, creating a low-pressure system that sucks in air from surrounding areas – which in turn is warmed by the ocean.
As the vapour rises it cools and condenses into swirling bands of cumulonimbus storm clouds.
The system grows and spins faster, sucking in more air and feeding off the energy in seawater that has been warmed by the sun.
At the center, a calm “eye” of the storm is created where cooled air sinks towards the ultra-low pressure zone below, surrounded by spiraling winds of warm air rising.
The faster the wind, the lower the air pressure at the center, and the storm grows stronger and stronger.
Tropical cyclones usually weaken when they hit land as they are no longer fed by evaporation from the warm sea.
But they often move far inland – dumping vast amounts of rain and causing devastating wind damage – before the “fuel” runs out and the storm peters out.
Hurricanes can also cause storm surges when the low air pressure sucks the sea level higher than normal, swamping low-lying coasts.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, wasted no time in blasting Harris’ response to the disaster.
He noted that Helene made landfall on September 26 and alluded to the Defense Department chiefs’ approval of 1,000 troops to hurricane-impacted zones in North Carolina days later.
Last week, Harris and Biden visited the Carolinas and Georgia, where they surveyed the damage.
Harris was pictured comforting survivors in areas ravaged by the storm.
But she and Trump have clashed over baseless claims that the federal government and Democratic governors were withholding aid from Republican areas of states.
Trump also peddled false claims that funds reserved for natural disasters were being spent on migrants.
Harris lashed out at her rival and said his comments were irresponsible.
Meanwhile, Matt Terrill, who worked on Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, revealed voters are looking for leadership, especially when the race is so tight.
He believes either candidate will win by a “field goal.”
Terrill noted how this election campaign is rare because voters can compare the Biden-Harris team with Trump’s four years as president.
“Voters are paying close attention to what’s happening here at home,” he said.
“The impact of the devastating storms is something voters are watching. They’re watching to see who can lead.
“Voters are looking for leadership given the challenging times we’re living in.”
Former Republican presidential candidates have opened up about the impacts disasters such as hurricanes can have on a campaign.
Natural disasters can provide a presidential candidate or an incumbent seeking re-election the chance to show leadership.
In 2013, Mitt Romney told CNN he wished Hurricane Sandy hadn’t happened.
“I wish the hurricane hadn’t happened when it did because it gave the president a chance to be presidential and to be out showing sympathy for folks,” he said in 2013.
“That’s one of the advantages of incumbency.”
With less than four weeks until Election Day, Milton is now dominating the news agenda.
And it comes at a point where Trump is the favorite to retake the White House, according to Polymarket.
He is odds on to win Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Harris is a slight favorite to win the states of Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin.
Christian Burke stands on the third floor of his home, where he, his mother, and his aunt plan to ride out Hurricane Milton with views through hurricane proof glass over Tampa Bay, in Gulfport, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. Burke, who said his engineer father built the concrete home to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, […][/caption]
epa11650891 People buy supplies at a grocery store as they prepare for Hurricane Milton in Bradenton, Florida, USA, 09 October 2024. According to the National Hurricane Center’s Live Hurricane Tracker, Hurricane Milton is set to make landfall on the west coast of Florida on 09 October evening. After rapidly intensifying into a Category 5 storm […][/caption]
*** BESTPIX *** FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 08: People visit the beach as storm clouds hang pass overhead before Hurricane Milton’s arrival on October 08, 2024 in Fort Myers, Florida. People are preparing for the storm, which could be a Cat 3 when it makes landfall on Wednesday evening. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)[/caption]
FLORIDA BRACES
Earlier this week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Harris seemed to clash, and their spat was reported in the media.
Harris claimed DeSantis was being selfish after he reportedly didn’t take her calls about hurricane relief.
But DeSantis hit back and said he wasn’t aware that Harris tried to call him.
And Biden hailed the Florida governor and former presidential candidate for being cooperative.
Floridians are on high alert as Milton prepares to make landfall.
It’s estimated the tempest could make landfall late on Wednesday night.
More than 160,000 people are without power and more than 1 million people are under evacuation orders.
Jane Castor, the mayor of Tampa Bay, issued a strong warning to Americans who did not heed the evacuation orders.
“If you choose to stay … you are going to die,” she told CNN on Monday night.
“I can tell you right now they might have done that in others; there’s never been one like this.”
She labeled Hurricane Helene as a “wakeup call” but warned Milton could be catastrophic.
‘HISTORIC STORM’
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service have labeled the tempest as a “historic storm” for the west coast of Florida.
As it heads toward the Sunshine State, the hurricane seems to be teetering between a Category 4 and a Category 5 storm.
Floridians have been seen bordering their homes, and airports have paused their operations as the state prepares for Milton’s wrath.
Drivers were stuck in traffic jams on Tampa’s I-4 interstate as they frantically tried to evacuate the city.
But gas stations and supermarkets have experienced shortages in recent days.
Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld chiefs have shuttered Orlando theme parks before the storm.
