Hurricanes swing the White House race?

Helene and Milton could strike a blow to the Democrats

Hurricane Helene made landfall on the southeastern coast of the United States on September 26. The storm reached its peak intensity just before it hit Florida, and the state’s authorities and residents appeared to have been complacent and failed to anticipate the magnitude of the disaster.

Contrary to the forecast of a 2-3 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, which did not cause serious damage, the storm reached a Category 4. The consequences of the storm caused more than 200 deaths in the 6 states it passed through. The most affected areas were South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee.

People blamed the government for being complacent and not making necessary preparations; in turn, the government responded by blaming the disaster victims for not evacuating early despite receiving warnings from authorities.

Several US states were devastated after two recent major storms. Photo: Reuters

In North Carolina, mountainous areas that had not previously been hit by the storm were now being hit by Hurricane Helene. Although the storm weakened as it reached North Carolina, more rain fell, creating a “rain on rain” phenomenon that made the flooding even more catastrophic.

Locals were left without electricity and drinking water, but the state government announced timely measures to provide victims with essential supplies within six days. Federal aid also arrived within a week.

While Americans were still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Helen, the United States was faced with Hurricane Milton. The storm moved south and made landfall late on October 9 (local time) as a Category 3 storm on Siesta Key - about 112 km south of Tampa, Florida.

The storm damage was widespread and water levels could continue to rise for days to come. However, Governor Ron DeSantis warned that this was not a “worst-case scenario.” The deadly storm dumped up to 18 inches (45 centimeters) of rain in some areas, DeSantis said. The worst damage from the storm occurred in Sarasota County, where water levels rose between 8 and 10 feet (2.5 and 3 meters).

Local officials reiterated that the danger from the storm has not yet passed. Storm surge warnings have been issued for much of the east and central coast of Florida and north into Georgia.

Observers say that the two hurricanes Helen and Milton are considered a serious blow to the Democratic Party's reputation. Americans are unhappy that the Democratic Party pays too much attention to foreign policy and little attention to what is happening at home. Compared to the billions of dollars in military aid being sent to Ukraine and the Middle East, the $45 million allocated for relief efforts seems very modest.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been accused of spending heavily to resettle migrants and is now running short of funds to house Americans affected by the storm. Last year, the agency created a refugee program for foreigners, and FEMA’s 2024 budget nearly doubled. It is highly unlikely that at least some of the funds allocated to foreigners will be used to help Americans.

Voter sentiment may also be affected by the still-unprecedented aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which moved out into the Atlantic Ocean on October 10 after hitting Florida, knocking out more than 3 million customers and spawning a series of tornadoes. Notably, not all states affected by Milton have had their power restored so far, a problem that some believe is due to the backup transformers used by the United States being sent to Ukraine.

Storm impacts in “swing states”

In the US, there is a concept called “swing states”, which means that it is difficult to predict the mood of voters until the last minute, but the results in these states can have a decisive impact on the outcome of the election. In the current race for the White House, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Nevada are considered such unpredictable battleground states.

Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Photo: NBC News

In Georgia and North Carolina, which were hit hardest by the storms, Republicans are leading, according to the latest polls. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is now trailing Donald Trump in key swing states — Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina — and recent polls suggest the Democratic nominee could also face trouble in Michigan and Wisconsin, according to analysts.

Florida’s Hurricane Milton strike is not expected to be a major surprise this year: the state voted for Trump in 2020 and voters are expected to choose the Republican in the upcoming election. But the mood of voters will depend on the extent of Milton’s devastation and how the current Democratic administration responds to the storm and tornado aftermath, analysts say.

Hurricanes can have a significant impact on the balance of power ahead of the election. Experts recall that former Democratic President Barack Obama won the election thanks to two factors: American fatigue after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the catastrophic consequences of Hurricane Katrina. The natural disaster exposed internal social, economic and political problems, and showed Americans the failures of the Republican administration led by George W. Bush at the time.

This time, Donald Trump’s team has found a way to exploit a natural disaster to undermine their opponent’s reputation. The issue of overcoming the consequences of the storm and stabilizing people’s lives is at the forefront, and clearly, Mr. Trump has turned his economic advantage into a campaign tactic.

Recently, Mr. Trump invited 275 electricians in Florida - where Hurricane Milton just made landfall - to take shelter at an expensive resort in Florida. Previously, the former US President also raised funds to support victims of Hurricane Helene and the current fundraising amount has reached the $7 million mark.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly accused the Biden-Harris administration of being incompetent in directing programs to help people affected by floods and natural disasters, and has also claimed that the current administration is using relief money to support immigrants. According to analysts, uncontrolled immigration from Mexico only benefits the Democratic administration, because immigrants and black Americans have traditionally supported the Democratic Party.

Ha Anh

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bau-cu-my-2024-cac-con-bao-lam-xoay-chuyen-cuoc-chay-dua-vao-nha-trang-post316568.html