Waste of the Day: Signs Warn that Hurricanes are Dangerous

Topline: When the federal government can’t even get most cities to accept a grant for free, it’s a pretty good sign the grant money should have never been awarded in the first place.

Hurricane storm surge signs

Yet the Federal Emergency Management Agency still went ahead and spent $42,544 on 400 paper signs in 2010 that showed Texas residents how tall 25 feet is: the height officials feared ocean tides could reach during hurricane season.

That’s according to the “Wastebook” reporting published by the late U.S. Senator Dr. Tom Coburn. For years, these reports shined a white-hot spotlight on federal frauds and taxpayer abuses. 

Coburn, the legendary U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, earned the nickname “Dr. No” by stopping thousands of pork-barrel projects using the Senate rules. Projects that he couldn’t stop, Coburn included in his oversight reports.   

Coburn’s Wastebook 2010 included 100 examples of outrageous spending worth more than $11.5 billion, including the cash wasted on sky-high signs for Texas — which would be worth $62,371 today. 

Key facts: Many Texas residents failed to see the purpose of the paper signs. One local realtor told FOX26 Houston the signs “frighten people” and believed they would lower property values. The cities of Galveston, LaPorte and Seabrook decided not to accept the signs, even though the federal government was footing the entire bill.

The signs were rendered even more ridiculous by the fact that Texas has never had a 25-foot storm surge. The record is 22 feet from Hurricane Carla in 1961, according to the National Weather Service.

Where did the money come from?

The money came from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which is meant to help cities “develop hazard mitigation plans and rebuild in a way that reduces, or mitigates, future disaster losses in their communities.”

Texas did need preparations for Hurricane Alex, which hit in June 2010 and caused $1.5 billion in damage — with 4-foot storm surges. The 25-foot signs may have only cost $42,544, but every dollar counts when faced with a deadly disaster.

Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com. 

Summary: With FEMA’s constant budget deficits and fiscal irresponsibility, there is little room for initiatives that don’t directly aid disaster victims. 

The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com.

This article was originally published by RCI and made available via RealClearWire.