The National Weather Service and FEMA are life savers. Don’t believe the lies

As a member of Congress representing communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, I understand firsthand how challenging it is to find sources of accurate information during a crisis. Fortunately, the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were there to inform our neighbors as the dangerous storms made landfall. The agencies saved lives before and after the devastating storms – and are still helping people pick up the pieces.

The Weather Service is one of the United States’ most valuable public assets. Are daily weather forecasts are routine, but in a crisis like this it is storm warnings are essential. The agency’s dedicated officers work around the clock provide accurate predictions of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, fires and floods. Hurricane hunters risk their lives to fly (just look) in the eye of the storm. They provide life-saving information and help citizens protect their homes and businesses. FEMA’s disaster professionals are also dedicated help before, during and after Americans face life-destroying disasters.

It’s all about people. The entire purpose of these government agencies is to help Americans exactly when they need it most. This is why the disinformation that is now being deliberately spread about these dedicated public servants and their lifesaving work is so tragic and twisted. America now has the best system in the world for warning people about severe weather – but it wasn’t always that way.

Decades ago, we warned people about storms like Helene and Milton with sirens, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios, and local televised warnings. These low-tech methods with a limited reach (en much less accurate storm forecasts) put many people in danger died in avoidable tragedies.

With the advent of mobile phones, alarm notifications have improved exponentially. With just a few keystrokes, severe weather and disaster alerts can reach people instantly. Thanks to new-generation weather satellites, powerful government computers and improved models, our forecasts have become just that improved dramatically. Today we have an advanced system for both warning and disaster response. But it only works if people believe in it in it.

Unfortunately, many of the social media platforms that people get their news from today are hotbeds of disinformation and lies, often distorted by unknowable algorithms that amplify dangerous and false information. For the highest quality storm information, the local National Weather Service forecast office will always give you the best possible information. And if you need disaster relief, FEMA is here to help. You can get more information at disasterrelief.gov.

The lies are bizarre and cruel – and they are taking their toll. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, tweeted an outrageous lie about it the government that controls this again. Conservative firebrand Alex Jones falsely claimed that the gDomination could have ‘killed the storm’ .” Most damaging of all, the former President Trump lied about it FEMA no more money because it spends that money on border security – a lie discourage people from applying for disaster relief funds.

There are so many lies about FEMA’s response to the storms they had to create web page debunking it. These terrible lies are causing serious and lasting damage to the public’s trust in the Weather Service and FEMA. FEMA is still out of money, and they’re working the ground at each locationto support governors of all states affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and every other disaster this summer. Americans should also know that Trump’s Project 2025 proposes to privatize the National Weather Service. That is a dangerous idea and would cost lives.

It’s time to put an end to the lies and disinformation about severe weather and disaster relief. The tragedies these lies cause are completely avoidable. I hope that in this election, Americans will turn the page on the Trump chaos and focus on the real challenges ahead, such as climate change, which is making severe weather more common. America is great because we see each other as neighbors and fellow citizens, not as Republicans or Democrats, and because we stand together in difficult times. We have seen it during the difficult aftermath that our people are now grappling with. Trump and others who try to polarize us by politicizing something as fundamental as disaster relief are betraying our trust. They don’t deserve our vote.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Democrat, represents Florida District 14, which includes Tampa and parts of St. Petersburg and Hillsborough County.