I got stuff to do tonight, so let’s tie this one off. The death toll from the tornados that wrecked Kentucky this weekend has risen to 74 confirmed dead. More worrisome, there are still over 100 people considered missing. Over 88 folks, including that 74, from Kentucky back to Missouri were killed during the storms.
Though flat-earthers are scoffing, the general understanding among those who study this sort of thing is that global climate change has a heavy hand in exacerbating the foul weather. Much like last winter’s deep free in Texas or the increased power/frequency of hurricanes, these are not one-offs nor are they something folks are used to. A tornado that’s two-thirds of a mile wide that travels over 200 miles before dissipating isn’t normal, no.
President Joe Biden declared the situation a major federal disaster and promised the government would get on the ball. First thing out of the gate, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) dispatched workers to open shelters for towns like Mayfield, which were almost wiped out. They’re also getting over 30,000 meals and 12,000 gallons of freshwater to folks in the disaster areas. He’ll visit the damaged area Wednesday as a president do.
He also unbuckled some cash to Kentucky, garnering the praise of Congressional Republicans. Senator Mitch McConnell was particularly effusive with his praise, noting how quickly emergency money got to people thanks to the President’s efforts. Some have made hay about Rand Paul’s demand for federal aid, and with good reason. He’s not only well-known for voting against federal aid for natural disasters – usually because it’s “spending someone else’s money” – he also voted against similar aid to 9/11 first responders suffering health problems.
Of course, the problem with that is that Rand Paul is an awful excuse for a human being, a bad neighbor, and anyone who’s shocked by the obvious “for me, not thee” hypocrisy hasn’t been paying attention to his political career. Libertarian conservatism is an awfully malleable political theory when you’re the one that’s knee-deep in floodwaters. But, again, such behavior isn’t all that unusual for the GOP. A 2019 House bill to provide disaster relief for many hard-hit areas, including in red states, saw 58 Republican votes against, including 43 who’d previously requested federal aid for natural disasters where their constituents were affected.
But if you’re going to be shocked about the obvious two-faced bullshit inherent in all that, you might as well be shocked at the Sun rising in the East every day. In any event, there are still around 100 people missing and investigators are saying it’s not looking good. For those that survived, all manner of help is needed. Nearly 26,000 houses and businesses in Kentucky are without electricity, another 17,000 is under a boiled-water advisory, and it’s going to be a couple of days before work crews can even start assessing the damage. Here’s a link with plenty of good organizations to donate to if you can spare it.
I ain’t even going to get into some of the shit Amazon’s pulled that got people killed for no other reason than they might lose a relatively minuscule amount of profit. My blood pressure can only take so much.
Stay safe, y’all.
Dear Y'all 