[THE VIEW] The Warning from the Texas Flood Disaster

Three Days Before the Flood, Bill to Cut Weather Service Budget Passed
Concerns Grow Over Trump's Plan to Dismantle Disaster Agencies

The sudden flood that struck Texas on July 4 claimed the lives of more than 120 people. The tragedy is even more heartbreaking because a significant number of the victims were children. In Kerr County, on the outskirts of San Antonio, the water level of the Guadalupe River rose by 26 feet in just 45 minutes, reaching what is referred to as a "once-in-a-century disaster." No one anticipated damage on this scale, and this event is now being recorded as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Texas.

Whenever a natural disaster occurs, questions about government responsibility inevitably follow. This time was no exception, with the Donald Trump administration's policy of downsizing government agencies coming under scrutiny. Earlier this year, the Trump administration laid off more than 600 employees from the National Weather Service (NWS), and in the 2026 budget proposal, it announced plans to drastically cut the budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and to close weather research institutes.

Just three days before the Texas flood, on July 1, Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" passed the Senate by a single vote, 51 to 50. Ted Cruz, the Republican Senator from Texas, also supported the bill. This legislation calls for a 6.7% reduction in the budgets of the National Weather Service and NOAA starting in 2026, and many weather research programs that play a crucial role in flood forecasting were included in the budget cuts.

The New York Times, citing experts, reported that "staff shortages may have made it difficult to coordinate forecast responses." The Yale Center for Environmental Communication analyzed that while a direct causal relationship between budget cuts and flood damage in Texas has not been proven, further budget reductions would negatively impact the flood forecasting system. The flood forecasting system is a key infrastructure that improves accuracy and speed, enabling early warnings. Furthermore, the National Weather Service has already lost many senior staff members, increasing the risks associated with weather-related disasters.

The Trump administration maintains that the budget cuts to the National Weather Service and NOAA are not directly related to the flood damage. In reality, given that a scientific causal link has not been clearly established, it is difficult to place all the blame on the Trump administration. However, the public continues to express concerns about other administrative reforms being pursued by the Trump government.

On the 4th, heavy rain poured over the Guadalupe River basin in the Hill Country area of the central mountainous region of Texas, USA. The river overflowed, causing a large-scale flood disaster that resulted in 129 deaths. Photo by AP Yonhap News

The biggest controversy centers on the plan to abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA, which is equivalent to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Korea, is an agency that the Trump administration has announced will be phased out after this year's hurricane season. For reference, while Korea's central disaster response agencies have been created and dissolved repeatedly depending on the administration, FEMA has never before been dismantled in the United States.

FEMA is a key agency responsible for the rapid procurement of supplies and financial support for affected residents in the event of a disaster. It also operates the National Flood Insurance Program, provides disaster preparedness training, and supports the development of response plans in each state, thereby improving the overall disaster response system. Two years ago, during the major wildfire in Maui, Hawaii, FEMA immediately provided grants to meet the urgent needs of survivors for food, clothing, and essential goods. It spent nearly $300 million (about 410 billion KRW) to provide temporary housing for residents who lost their homes and also supported school construction funding. The state of Hawaii, with its relatively small population and limited financial resources, would have found it difficult to respond independently without FEMA.

Even large states like Texas have often received FEMA's assistance. When a winter storm struck Texas in 2021, causing the collapse of power grids and water infrastructure, FEMA quickly transported essential supplies such as drinking water, fuel, generators, and blankets after declaring a state of emergency. In just a few days, it provided more than $2.8 million in grants for temporary housing and home repairs.

While tax waste must certainly be avoided, providing budget support to essential disaster response agencies such as FEMA and the National Weather Service is a basic duty of any advanced democracy. As natural disasters become more frequent due to climate change, the disappearance of a federal disaster management agency would force each state to fend for itself. States with ample financial resources might be able to respond independently to some extent, but smaller, rural states with limited finances and infrastructure would inevitably face significant difficulties.

Improving efficiency and reducing costs are important principles of government operation. However, indiscriminately scaling back even the essential functions directly related to the lives and safety of citizens can lead to even greater social costs in the long run. The lesson from the Texas flood disaster is clear. Natural disasters strike without warning, and the capacity to prepare for and respond to them is a core function that a nation cannot afford to neglect.

Seo Boyoung, Professor at Indiana State University, USA