FEMA/HURRICANE/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A year after presiding over a sluggish and chaotic response to a devastating storm in Puerto Rico, the Trump administration girded on Wednesday for a test of its ability to do better as Hurricane Florence continued to bear down on the Carolina coast. If responding to the destruction from Hurricane Maria last year in Puerto Rico was especially challenging — it was the third major hurricane of the season, it struck off the United States mainland and the local government was often overwhelmed — Florence presents more manageable logistics for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It is the first big storm of 2018. FEMA and state and local officials have had days to prepare, and the agency has positioned considerable supplies and personnel in the areas most likely to be affected. Two months before the midterm elections, President Trump has put himself front and center in the government’s response, suggesting that the White House will be fully invested in providing the necessary resources. Beyond the threat to lives and property, the storm also poses a formidable political challenge for Mr. Trump, whose public posture has been shaped by his penchant for self-congratulation and relish for lashing out at political rivals.”
–Ron Nixon, Julie Hirschfeld Davis and James Glanz, “Hurricane Florence Is a Formidable Test for FEMA and Trump,” The New York Times online, September 12, 2018