Anne Gisleson

Because the lies circulating by Republicans during the hurricanes represented a new level of harm 

Watching the recent back-to-back hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, Helene and Milton, become so dangerous so quickly gave many of us in south Louisiana gut-sinking PTSD. Communities were facing Hurricane Katrina–level destruction, and we understood the pain, loss, and grueling road to recovery. 

Disasters are almost always politicized, but the rumors and lies circulating before, during, and after the hurricanes struck by Republicans with smart phones in campaign-mode represented a new level of harm to people already in the midst of suffering. FEMA workers being threatened in North Carolina, misinformation about aid money being diverted to immigrants, disinformation about relief payments, Democrats controlling the weather. 

Accurate information is a lifeline in these moments. Fear, division and lies compound and prolong the damage. Essential aid is delayed, and resources are diverted to combat the lies and restore trust. 

As hurricanes, fires, floods, record heat, and tornadoes continue to increase in frequency across the country, what kind of leadership do we need?

To start with, one that shares our common reality—that of citizens gutting houses, sharing resources, and rebuilding their lives and communities. You know, the truth on the ground. One that’s committed to the government’s role in aiding its citizenry when they need it most. And I wish it wasn’t necessary to even say this, but yes, one that believes in science and letting career experts in climate change and disaster response be allowed to do their jobs. 

In the face of disasters, we also need each other. Communities can and do come together in extraordinary ways, but increasingly disinformation is driving wedges between people whose survival depends on trust and societal cohesion. 

I have no illusions about politicians pursuing power at the level of the president of the United States, but I’ve been uncommonly moved by the Harris-Walz campaign’s repeated focus on bringing us together as a country, and their rejection of divisiveness and the cynical detachment being peddled by the other side. They seem to have an authentic connection, and dare I say love, for the other humans around them. 

When the water rises, the fires sweep to the edge of town, that’s often the most important thing we’re left with.

Anne Gisleson is a writer and teacher living in New Orleans, Louisiana.