A Weather Mess Meets a Government Mess

 

by Pa Rock

Observer

Today's weather forecast for the Ozarks seems to be offering the proverbial "something for everyone."   As I type this it is 9:30 a.m. CST.  The temperature is currently 62 degrees at my little home in West Plains, Missouri, with a high of 64 degrees expected soon and a low of 22 degrees predicted for this evening.   The sky is overcast and there is a slight breeze.  Our area is under a high wind advisory from 10:00 a.m. today until 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.

The forecast calls for rain today with a chance of severe thunderstorms this afternoon as well as the possibility of "isolated" tornadoes - and snow tonight!  The high tomorrow is supposed to be in the low 30's, with highs near 80 degrees by Thursday and Friday!

How's that for a weather mess!

There was a news article this week stating that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), had let its tornado-tracking contract expire, and as of early last week it had still not been renewed.   FEMA is under the operational control of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the screw-ups who are totally focused on finding and arresting immigrants of color.   Hey, Buttwipes, we're in tornado season now!   It would be nice to know where they are headed.  Surely Trump can give up one weekend of golf in order to fund tornado trackers!  Or maybe the Pentagon could forgo a lobster brunch in the Flag Officers' Mess once a month or so.

FEMA currently has a balance of $9.6 billion in its Disaster Relief Fund, an amount which sounds like a lot but is considerably less than the $11.3 billion that the United States spent on the first six days of its War on Iran.   FEMA's overlord agency, the Department of Homeland Security, is also in a financial squeeze due to Congress's  current DHS funding freeze -  a freeze which hits everything except Immigration and Custom's Enforcement (ICE).  Nice.

How's that for a government mess!

But hey, priorities - right?   I have a basement and don't live in a mobile home, so I should be alright - but some of my friends are not as fortunate.