This morning Governor Bryant issued a statement declaring May 23-27th "Hurricane Preparedness Week." From NewsMS:
“Eleven years after Hurricane Katrina, we have vivid memories of that storm and its aftermath,” said Gov. Bryant. “Catastrophic hurricanes do not occur every year, but we must prepare ourselves in such a way that we are prepared for any level of destruction.”
Yes, five days for hurricane preparedness, but thirty for Confederate history.
But the irony lost on Phil Bryant doesn't stop there, because the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has been urging Speaker Gunn, Lieutenant Reeves, and Governor Bryant to appropriately prepare for quite some time. Last month, the Clarion Ledger reported that Mississippi's "Hurricane Preparedness" hub is operating with 48% of the budget needed to respond to real crises:
In 2006, after Hurricane Katrina hit, State Personnel Board audit showed that in order to handle a similar disaster, the agency would need $6.1 million. It was fully funded that year.
In 2016, the agency was just given a budget of $3.2 million. That's with 16 open federal disasters still in various phases of recovery, including hurricanes Katrina and Isaac, tornadoes from Louisville, Smithville, the Pine Belt, and all around the state on Dec. 23, 2015, as well as the recent flooding from March 9.
So when Governor Bryant reminds you to be prepared, you should take him seriously.
Because if something happens, he doesn't have a plan to save you.