The White House and Texas officials are playing the blame game as Texans remain without power in the sweltering heat. During the Category 1 Hurricane Beryl, Governor Greg Abbott was on foreign travel in Asia, and President Biden was apparently playing phone tag with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. Abbott and Patrick dispute Biden’s claims that they were unreachable.
Hurricane Beryl’s Impact on Houston
After being hit by Hurricane Beryl over the weekend, over 1.5 million Houston residents still don’t have power in their homes amidst some of the year’s hottest days.
Delay in Declaring State of Emergency
President Biden did not declare a state of emergency until a day after the storm had landed outside Houston as a Category 1 hurricane.
Category One Through Five Storm Characteristics
A category five hurricane is the most devastating, but category one Beryl led to millions of households remaining without power for many days. Several people died in the storm.
Communication Issues Between Officials
President Biden spoke to Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick after failing to reach Governor Greg Abbott, who was traveling internationally in Asia.
Abbott and Patrick Blame Biden
Abbott and Patrick blamed Biden for the delay in declaring a state of emergency and activating all the resources associated with the designation.
Abbott’s Spokesman’s Response
Abbott’s spokesman said, “This is a complete lie from President Biden, and frankly doesn’t make any sense. The President and his Administration know exactly how to contact the governor.”
Extent of Hurricane Beryl’s Damage
Beryl devastated parts of Texas, leading to power outages for 2.7 million households, flight cancellations, and pouring down over a foot of heavy rainfall in Houston. Beryl’s wind topped 90 miles per hour.
Struggles of Texans Without Power
Those suffering from heat waves without access to power at home have gathered at cooling centers to wait out the heat waves or until their power is restored.
Beryl Continued Movement Through Midwest
However, Beryl continues to move much less powerfully throughout the middle United States.
Federal Emergency Response Process
When declaring a disaster, the Presidential Administration can activate federal emergency teams and resources and expend resources for relief efforts within the state.
FEMA Called in After State First Declares Disaster
This usually occurs after a governor or state officials declare a major disaster through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Biden’s Statement on FEMA’s Role
Biden stated that during the Texas Beryl emergency, FEMA had been active and supplying resources since before the hurricane landed. Biden told reporters Tuesday, “I’ve been trying to track down the governor to see– I don’t have any authority to do that without a specific request from the governor.”
Patrick’s Criticism of Biden
In response, Patrick stated that he had spoken to the President once for three minutes the day after the storm, despite Biden having been on calls with FEMA, which had been working alongside Patrick for days before the phone conversation between Biden and Patrick.
Patrick said, “He did not know his employees from FEMA were beside me for three days! All he had to do was call them and have them hand their phone to me. To quote President Biden, this is a load of malarkey, and he’s shoveling it!”
Resolution of the Blame Game
The situation and blame game were resolved when Biden asked Patrick if he wanted to declare a major disaster. When Patrick said yes, Biden declared a federal emergency for Hurricane Beryl in Texas.
The delay on Patrick’s part, according to him, in declaring disaster emergencies in 81 counties is that before a state can declare a major disaster, it needs to know what they will ask of FEMA in terms of assistance and resources.