Considering the three largest states in the USA, California, Texas, and Florida, it is California that has the least number of disasters with the lowest cost burden, by far, of the three. Texas, of course, is the number one disaster state. Yet, when the state of California faces a disaster, Republican politicians, especially those from Texas, immediately weigh-in to criticize the state and threaten, and actually vote for, withholding federal money to prevent and remediate the disasters. When Red States face disaster, Democrats don’t play political games – relief is offered immediately. It is as if Republicans relish disasters so that they can selectively call-out California, but on the other hand lack introspection to see their regressive policies actually are hurting their own Red States more than the Blue States. It makes for great political theatre, though, and mainstream media gives these regressive Republican clowns the theatre they don’t deserve. So, Texas is the #1 disaster state, and also number one in trying to withhold disaster relief from Blue States.
In 2024 alone, one wildfire in Texas burned over 1 million acres. Between 2018-2022, about 1.8 million acres were burned by wildfires in Texas. Unlike what Republicans do, Democrats didn’t withold, or threaten to withold, disaster relief to Texas.
Although the flames that leveled Pacific Palisades and Malibu are believed to have started in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service, and the blaze that turned Altadena to ash burned through the Angeles National Forest, is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which is part of the United States Department of Agriculture, Republicans blame California for the fires. Republicans have continuously gutted funding to US land management and have privatized as much of it as they can. Republicans create problems and then blame others for the problems.
Republicans continue to threaten California, the 5th largest economy on the planet and the state that funds these little wimp’s poor Red States that, themselves, would be a natural disaster without taxpayer dollars from California. Just look at Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson’s pathetic state of Louisana – it’s an economic disaster riveted by natural disasters. Louisiana is also the home of Senator (no relation) John Kennedy, a guy with a phony Southern draw so thick that the cringe of it rings down to the tip of your toes. John’s state is a disaster, just like his acent. These Republican goons need to discover introspection, work on reducing their right amygdala responses, develop some empathy, and seek out electrotherapy to induce forebrain function.
Here’s a look at the disaster data from NOAA:
Florida Summary
From 1980–2024, there were 94 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect Florida. These events included 7 drought events, 4 flooding events, 5 freeze events, 33 severe storm events, 36 tropical cyclone events, 4 wildfire events, and 5 winter storm events. The 1980–2024 annual average is 2.1 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2020–2024) is 6.8 events (CPI-adjusted).
California Summary
From 1980–2024, there were 46 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect California. These events included 14 drought events, 6 flooding events, 3 freeze events, 4 severe storm events, and 19 wildfire events. The 1980–2024 annual average is 1.0 event (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2020–2024) is 1.6 events (CPI-adjusted).
Texas Summary
From 1980–2024, there were 190 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect Texas. These events included 20 drought events, 9 flooding events, 1 freeze event, 126 severe storm events, 16 tropical cyclone events, 7 wildfire events, and 11 winter storm events. The 1980–2024 annual average is 4.2 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2020–2024) is 13.6 events (CPI-adjusted).
Stem Cells, Health, Technology 