As Hot Air notes, President Donald Trump seems to be doing quite well with Americans concerning Hurricane Harvey. 55 percent of the American people approve of his handling of the storm and its aftermath that ravaged the central Texas Gulf coast and inundated Houston with a biblical flood. That number includes 36 percent of Democrats, remarkable as the president is universally hated by that particular political group. The numbers compare favorably to the overwhelmingly negative response to President George W. Bush’s handling of Hurricane Katrina, which hammered new orleans a dozen years ago.
What was different between Harvey and Katrina?
The first thing that was different between the two hurricanes was something presidents have no control over, that being the culture of self-reliance that exists in Texas. A lot of people who found their homes flooded out were rescued by volunteers in their personal boats and were housed in shelters set up by local churches and businesses. This reaction contrasts with the response in New Orleans after Katrina, which seemed to be paralyzed by a sense of helplessness.
The federal, state and local governments were certainly more prepared for Harvey than had been the case with Katrina. Coast Guard helicopters were rescuing people even before the rains, and the flooding had abated.
FEMA seemed to be more engaged than had been the case 12 years before. One particularly beneficial aspect was the fact that power was restored far quicker for businesses and residents that had lost it than could reasonably be expected.
trump also seemed to be more personally engaged with the disaster than had previous presidents.
While he concentrated on meeting with local officials during his first trip to Texas, Trump made sure that he was seen interacting with refugees and volunteers during his second. The president’s experience in television imagery paid off.
However, Irma is coming
The caveat in this rosy assessment is that Trump is going to have to do it all over again when Irma marches up Florida, putting Miami under water and ravaging every other community before it becomes spent somewhere in the south east.
Unless something changes, Irma is likely to be even more devastating than Harvey was. Trump must know that his enemies are residing in wait for any misstep. So far all they have managed to complain about was First Lady Melania’s shoes, an attack that was so petty that it was widely mocked on social media. In any event, just as Katrina was the beginning of the breaking of George W. Bush, Harvey and Irma may well be the start of Trump’s making as president of the United States.
