Three cataclysmic weather events gripped the nation in the 2000’s. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina inflicted unprecedented damage on Louisiana and Mississippi, hitting working class Black neighborhoods hardest. Superstorm Sandy hit New York and New Jersey in 2012, flooding communities not built to sustain climate change-driven hurricane damage. And Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico so significantly in 2017 that rebuilding efforts are still ongoing today.

Americans awoke to the reality that decades of dismantling the safety net had resulted in poor preparation, dismal crisis management, and even worse federal relief and response. Just when Americans needed to rely on their government the most, they often did not receive support.