TRANSCRIPT
“That roar got louder and then all of a sudden the wind busted through that door and all that stuff came down the hall.”
That's Charles Rushing, a resident of Alabama, telling US network NBC about a tornado that's destroyed the house he has lived in for decades.
Alabama is one of the states caught up in a severe and deadly set of weather events in the US over the past week.
There have been at least 81 tornadoes reported across eight Midwest and Southern states, while vicious dust storms and deadly wildfires have raged in others including Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas, claiming the lives of around 40 people so far.
It's prompted some state governors like Sarah Huckabee in Arkansas to declare a state of emergency.
“Just absolute devastation across the county and across the state last night. But thankful for the great partnership that we have with people here on the ground. And we are going to continue working until we get people back on their feet as quickly as possible.”
But just who is ultimately responsible for recovery from disasters like this has become a contentious issue after the return of Donald Trump to the White House.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has traditionally played a key role in coordinating emergency responses and other recovery needs of communities after natural disasters.
But it has received attention from the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk, with an estimated 200 people being fired since Trump's inauguration in January - and a review into its operations is underway that's due to report in the next month or so.
The President himself has made no secret of his disdain for FEMA.
“I do have to say FEMA is a big disappointment. We had it working well. We had great people. But FEMA's not good anymore. What FEMA did in North Carolina... You know they still haven't even gone to certain areas. They don't know what they're doing.”
Mr Trump has repeatedly said he prefers local efforts, and for the federal government to reimburse states for at least some of what they spend on recovery.
“To have a group of people come in from an area that don't even know where they're going, in order to solve immediately a problem, is something that never worked for me. I'd like to see the states take care of disasters. Let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen.”
That has now happened - Trump signing an order that shifts responsibility for disaster preparations to state and local governments.
The order says common sense investments by state and local governments to address risks ranging from wildfires to hurricanes and cyber attacks would enhance national security, but has not detailed what these are or how they would be funded.
Community level recovery efforts are certainly already well underway.
Bakersfield Missouri resident Jennifer Bridges says members of the community have been supporting each other amid all the devastation.
“They've been coming in and bringing stuff all day long. We're filling the church building up so we're going to have it open, ready for anybody that needs something. Our community is like that. Everytime something bad happens, whether somebody has come down with cancer or their house burns down or whatever it is, our community comes together and we give and we love each other.”
It's a similar story in Mississippi, according to Governor Tate Reeves.
“Mississippians in times like these, step up and do what is necessary to take care of our friends and our neighbours. And that makes me proud to be a Mississippian.”
But despite these local responses, the states and some emergency officials are uneasy about Trump's executive order.
In general, the federal government currently pays 75 percent of the cost with state and locals picking up 25 percent, even less in the case of the biggest disasters.
FEMA frequently coordinates emergency resources from multiple federal agencies, conducts damage assessments, and according to FEMA regional administrator Bob Fenton, distributes billions of dollars in recovery aid, like they have done in post bushfire Los Angeles.
“FEMA has approved over $83 million in assistance to individuals. In addition to that, SBA was approved over $1.4 billion for residential and businesses.”
Experts like Susan Cutter from the University of South Carolina's Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Institute, and former Florida county emergency manager Craig Fugate say the states don't have the resources to manage disasters - or get ready for them - without that kind of federal money.
Mr Fugate says the other worry is that states will struggle to stop waste, fraud and abuse that are currently harder with FEMA because of federal procurement laws - and their ability to access national resources in cleanup operations that ultimately are cheaper for taxpayers.
Those concerns are already playing out in Missouri, where Ozark County Sheriff Cass Martin says a number of people have been displaced - and it's unclear what state resources are available to help them.
“The whole town has been basically impacted because we have several businesses in here in Bakersfield that have lost their businesses. They're damaged. Their roofs are off, damage to windows. That's not counting the residences here as you can see behind me. There's a lot of people here looking for a place to land after something like this.”
Yet Arkansas' Sarah Huckabee says there is merit in local preparation.
“It is unbelievable what this community has been able to accomplish in a short amount of time. Just absolute preparedness and great leadership saved lives. And without it I think we'd be looking at a really different story. So we're so thankful for the great work that they have done, preparing and getting ready for unfortunate events just like this.”
A White House official has said the latest order is not aimed at closing the agency - but concern remains that the changes are partisan rather than practical.
There have already been accusations that blue and red states are being treated differently, with the WVVA network reporting that West Virginia's Major Disaster Declaration request from Republican Governor Patrick Morrisey was approved after just six days, allowing FEMA relief to go to communities left devastated by flooding a month ago - while Virginia - led by Democrat Glenn Youngkin - is still waiting.
California, with its Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom, has also come under attack by Trump, who threatened to withhold federal aid after the LA bushfires unless they introduced the changes he wants.
“I want to see two things in Los Angeles: voter ID so that the people have a chance to vote, and I want to see the water be released and come down into Los Angeles and throughout the state.”
The White House has played down these concerns, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying it's business as usual for FEMA and all of the states affected by these latest storms.
“The President has been actively monitoring the situation, and the Trump administration is engaged with governors and local officials to restore affected communities and livelihoods. Everyone impacted is in our prayers, and President Trump is fully prepared to assist state and local officials as they recover from the horrific damage.”
None of this of course makes any difference to Charles Rushing in Alabama.
He has told NBC he's still coming to terms with losing his house - and the memories.
“Devastated... because you know, you put your life into a place and then you know, it's destroyed in just a matter of minutes.”
