Mutual aid networks are growing as Trump cuts disaster response.

In November, the Trump panel will offer reform recommendations

The cities would struggle to replace federal funds

Mutual aid networks report a growing response.

By Carey L. Biron

Her neighbors were also in the same situation - if there were any doors left over after the storm of September 2017, which caused 3,000 deaths and $115 billion worth of damage.

Aviles-Vazquez stated that it felt like residents of the U.S. island territory were all alone, but they also had each other.

She said, "I could hate the neighbor but we couldn't get through this if we didn’t help one another."

Over the next few months, residents built mutual assistance networks and cleared roads, checked up on distant neighbors, and stabilised homes.

It became a chain, said Aviles-Vazquez. He is the founder of Agroecology Institut, which empowers farmers.

As climate change impacts have increased, hyperlocal responses and preparedness for natural disasters has gained more attention.

Now that President Donald Trump is looking to reduce the federal government's role in disaster preparation and response, the focus has increased even further.

In his first few days as president, Trump published a critical review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A panel will make recommendations for reforms by November.

Experts are worried that the panel may raise the threshold for requesting assistance or eliminate the agency altogether.

FEMA employees warned last month that the cuts were already having "cascading" effects on their agency's response capabilities.

Abigail Jackson, White House spokesperson, said in an email the FEMA's over-sized role had "created a bureaucratic bloat that disincentivised state investment in resilience."

She wrote that Trump wants to empower the "state and local government by enabling them better understand and plan for their citizens' needs, and finally address those needs."

"PERIOD of Uncertainty"

FEMA's purpose today is in large part a result of Hurricane Katrina, which was the most devastating natural disaster to hit the United States, and when the government response was criticized as being too slow. Sara McTarnaghan co-leads the work on climate change and communities at the Urban Institute.

She said that FEMA is now focusing on encouraging local communities to develop pre-disaster preparedness, especially in poorer areas.

She said that the future is uncertain.

"I have a lot of sympathy for the emergency planners at state and local levels. McTarnaghan stated that we are in an uncertain period and it is not clear yet what responsibilities will be required.

McTarnaghan, her colleagues and themselves found that the Trump administration's proposed changes - like halting federal aid for snowstorms- would result in more than 70% disasters no longer receiving presidential emergency declarations.

SBP, an organization that assists communities in recovering from disasters and helps them identify their priorities, develop plans, and raise money, works with local governments across nine states.

Reese May is the chief strategy and innovation office at SBP. She said that many Americans live in small and medium-sized towns where disasters are a possibility. However, their government has limited resources and cannot go to these communities to get information on their risks.

'LIKE WILDFIRE'

Local and volunteer groups report a surge in interest and demand for their services.

Team Rubicon was formed to aid in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. It has grown from just a few volunteers to over 200,000 today.

Jeff Byard is the senior vice president for operations. "We do lots of hard, physical labor - repairing homes, removing debris," he said. "We want be the last ones out and first ones in."

Byard stated that Rubicon has increased its local work to prepare for funding and capacity gaps in the wake of federal reforms.

KD Chavez is the executive director of Climate Justice Alliance. This national network, which includes about 100 organizations, has said that communities are becoming more organized and recruiting volunteers as a result of natural disasters.

The alliance has developed a "brigade model" to receive disaster warnings directly from the field, and then respond with a surge of resources.

Chavez stated that "one of the deepest benefits of the Alliance is that we mobilize a lot of people on the ground when we're in the waiting period."

Organizers of another national group, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief say that its decentralized community response network includes hundreds of people who are in communication channels and working groups, and thousands of general volunteers.

It has also supported pop-up clinics and community air filter programs.

Devin Ceartas is an organizer with Triangle Mutual Aid in North Carolina, who participated in the Hurricane Helene response last year.

He said that mutual aid spreads like wildfire when people are passionate about it. It's a magical thing. "People truly come alive."

He said that Triangle Mutual Aid saw a surge in interest, with 500 new volunteers joining the organization after new floods hit the state in late July.

Ceartas hopes to take advantage of the momentum and make preparations, such as building crews or getting licensed to operate radio communication equipment.

Ceartas stated that "there's nothing FEMA can provide that's not already available and that people couldn't give each other."

(source: Reuters)