(Above): A neighborhood, homes, vehicles destroyed in one of the devastating California – Oregon wildfires. (Shutterstock) 

June 1 marked the start of wildfire and hurricane season. Community activists from Florida to New Jersey, California to Louisiana and Texas, under the banner of ‘Organizing Resilience,’ for the first time are working together to pressure elected leaders to address a failed disaster relief system and the PTSD, fear, and economic impact that failure has had on their communities.

 At an Ethnic Media Services briefing, June 3, speakers and moderator ­­– Ashley Shelton, Founder, President, and CEO of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (Louisiana); MacKenzie Marcelin, Climate Justice Manager, Florida Rising; Chrishelle Palay, Executive Director of the HOME Coalition in Houston; Daysi Bedolla Sotelo, Senior Strategist for the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (California); and Moderator: Jennifer R. Farmer, Principal, Spotlight PR LLC­ – discussed what they are planning for the current season and what they need government at all levels to do.

(Above, l-r): Ashley Shelton, Founder, President, and CEO of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (Louisiana); MacKenzie Marcelin, Climate Justice Manager, Florida Rising; Chrishelle Palay, Executive Director of the HOME Coalition in Houston; Daysi Bedolla Sotelo, Senior Strategist for the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (California); and Moderator: Jennifer R. Farmer, Principal, Spotlight PR LLC. (EMS)

Jennifer Farmer opened the session, “June 1 launched the beginning of wildfire and hurricane season. As our guests across the country braced for an extended period of potentially deadly wildfire season and hurricane season, we need to say that this season is fueled by climate change and past inaction.

“We are very aware that communities hardest hit by the combination of climate pollution the pandemic hurricanes and wildfires are demanding solutions that allow us to build long-term climate resilient infrastructure and also thriving economies,” said Farmer.

Ashley K. Shelton, who has lived through numerous hurricanes and has provided aid on the front line following those, spoke about the disaster economy and about what folks in Louisiana are doing to prepare for this hurricane season.

“We are working to prepare for being able to provide direct cash assistance to communities. FEMA doesn’t show up until about two weeks after the storm, and what that does is creates this gap where folks are desperate. They’re reeling and hurting. The disaster economy and capitalism in Louisiana has become such an industry that we did a lot of work this legislative session to pass legislation around insurance companies and making sure that we’re holding them accountable to their clients because we saw a lot of that last year after Ida, where insurance companies weren’t paying out lots of provisions that weren’t clear in their policies, whether like it didn’t cover wind or it had this cap for natural disasters.

“Making sure that folks understand what’s happening, we’re doing a couple of different workshops across the state to talk about what is available in community,” said Shelton.

Daysi Bedolla Sotelo spoke next about efforts happening in California. She talked about the concerns as we head into wildfire season, and hurricane season, and also the impact on farm workers.

“There was a lot of information coming out in English, and that’s one of our main concerns as we’re headed into the season again because there’s not enough information out there for preparedness or the steps that we should take to even go to FEMA. We had to step in and make sure that we were helping the community and do a rapid response. We also had mutual aid and we had to step in because the state is not was not ready right for a lot of these wildfires that are happening as well as our community members that are not ready and so a lot of it, the concern comes from the Spanish resources that weren’t available.

“We know that you know our folks can sign up to emergency alerts but even then, they’re not getting (alerts) in the language that they are needing it, and not just Spanish languages, but also indigenous languages. There’s a lot of other dialects that are also spoken and it’s been a huge concern and as far as for farm workers, they were working and they still work, while there’s like a toxicity level that’s really high from the smoke.

“We just were able to work with OSHA and pass smoke and heat rules for our farm workers that are taking effect this year. We will be doing presentations about how to prepare for wildfires. Where to look for those resources, so that our community members are more prepared, what documents they should have, how to prepare an emergency backpack, how to do all the little things that we think are little, but we’re not prepared to do.

“We want to make sure that we’re doing a lot of that preparedness work with our community and do outreach wherever we find our community members and are based as farm workers. We go out to the labor camps, farms, to make sure that they are being informed.

“We also have a rapid response component to it because when the first wildfire hit us, it was devastating. A lot of our community members lost their homes and right after that, we had a winter storm, so there was a lot that was happening,” said Sotelo.

Chrishelle Palay, from Houston, spoke about the PTSD that can come from natural disasters that are exacerbated by the climate crisis. What it’s like to survive a storm, and then to know that you’re still in the eye of the storm.

“Our group was created in the midst of hurricane Harvey and we’re a coalition of about 19 organizations that are working at the intersection of housing, flood, resiliency, environmental justice issues, labor rights.

“Although Harvey happened almost five years ago, unfortunately there are so many people that are still waiting for assistance and for their homes to be repaired, especially low-income communities of colors, that are continuing to live in leaky roofs, homes with rotted wood and moldy ceilings and walls.

“We also experienced a storm last winter, in 2021, winter storm Yury, and it brought unprecedented freezing conditions to Texas. Our power grid failed millions, and this is the energy capital of the world. We were left in freezing conditions and darkness for days, and in some areas for weeks, and then after the temperatures increased, and the plumbing pipes warmed up, another disaster struck because they were burst plumbing pipes, bringing water damage to homes and no running water.

“Another hurricane season is on its way with tropic activity looming in the Gulf. Our community is suffering from PTSD, and we’re worrying about yet another power grid failure, worried about continued exacerbation of issues that already existed and even when it goes back to the power grid, we already have been warned because of increased temperatures, of looming rolling blackouts.

“About a couple of weeks ago, the state sent out messages that everyone should keep their thermostats around 78 degrees. Texans are worried, living along the gulf coast, worried and concerned not just about the power grid but also about traffic activity, and being struck yet again, especially for those communities that still are waiting for assistance.

“We’ve been at the forefront and trying to make sure resources for our community are made available,” said Palay.