As a member of Congress representing the communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, I understand firsthand how difficult it is to find sources of accurate information during a crisis. Thank goodness the National Weather Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency were there to inform our neighbors as dangerous storms approached land. Agencies saved lives before and after the devastating storms and are still helping people recover.

The weather service is one of the most valuable public assets in the United States. Is daily weather forecasts They are routine, but in a crisis like this, it is storm warnings They are essential. The service’s dedicated public servants work 24 hours a day to provide accurate forecasts from extreme weather events such as hurricanes, fires and floods. Hurricane hunters risk their lives flight (just look) into the eye of the storm. They provide life-saving information and help citizens protect their homes and businesses. FEMA disaster professionals are also dedicated to helping before, during and after Americans face devastating disasters.

It’s about people. The sole purpose of these government agencies is to help Americans precisely when they need it most. This is the reason why misinformation is being spread intentionally now about these dedicated public servants and their work to save lives is so tragic and twisted. The United States now has the best system in the world for warning people about severe weather, but it wasn’t always that way.

decades ago, We warn people about storms like Helene and Milton with sirens, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios, and local alerts broadcast on television. These low-tech, limited-scope (and much less precise storm forecasts) meant that many people were in danger deceased in avoidable tragedies.

With the advent of mobile phones, emergency notifications improved exponentially. With a few keystrokes, disaster and severe weather alerts can reach people instantly. Thanks to next-generation weather satellites, high-powered government computers, and improved models, our forecasts have improved. dramatically improved. Today we have a sophisticated system for both warning and response to disasters. but It only works if people believe in it.

Unfortunately, many social media platforms where people receive news today are hotbeds of misinformation and lies, often distorted by unknowable algorithms that amplify dangerous and false information. For the highest quality storm information, the local forecast office of the National Weather Service It will always give you the best information possible. And if you need disaster assistance, FEMA will be there for you. You can get more information at disaster assistance.gov.

Lies are extravagant and cruel, and they take a toll. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., tweeted an outrageous lie about The government controls this climate.. Conservative firebrand Alex Jones falsely claimed that the gThe government could have “killed the storm.” .” The most damaging thing of all is that the former President Trump lied about FEMA run out of money because he is spending that money on border security, a lie that is discourage people from applying for disaster relief funds.

There are so many lies about FEMA’s response to the storms that they had to create a Web page discredit them. These terrible lies cause serious and lasting damage to public trust in the weather service and FEMA. FEMA has not run out of funds and they are on their way the ground in each placesupporting the governors of all the states affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton, and all the other disasters this summer. Americans should also know that Trump’s Project 2025 proposes privatizing the National Weather Service. This is a dangerous idea and would cost lives.

It’s time to end the lies and misinformation about severe weather and disaster response. The tragedies caused by these lies are totally avoidable. I hope that in this election Americans will turn the page on Trump’s chaos and focus on the real challenges ahead, like how climate change will make severe weather more common. America is great because we see each other as neighbors and fellow citizens, not Republicans or Democrats, and we work together in difficult times. We have seen it during the difficult consequences our people face now. Trump and others who seek to polarize us, politicizing something as fundamental as disaster response, are betraying our trust. They don’t deserve our vote.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Democrat, represents Florida’s 14th District, which includes Tampa and parts of St. Petersburg and Hillsborough County.