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Inquirer Editorial: Trump wants flood-threatened Americans to pay for his wall

Who thought when President Trump referred to a flood of immigrants from Mexico that it would have anything to do with the banks of the Mississippi overflowing or the Jersey Shore? Leave it to him to make that connection.

A portion of Harvey Cedars in Ocean County is underwater after Sandy hit.
A portion of Harvey Cedars in Ocean County is underwater after Sandy hit.Read moreStaff file photo

Who thought when President Trump referred to a flood of immigrants from Mexico that it would have anything to do with the banks of the Mississippi overflowing or the Jersey Shore? Leave it to him to make that connection.

The president apparently has given up on getting Mexico to pay for that "great, great wall on our southern border" and instead wants to get U.S. citizens to foot the bill by adding a surcharge to the country's 5 million flood insurance policies.

Not only would that make flood insurance more expensive, his proposed budget cuts would also make flooding more likely and recovery more difficult.

Trump wants to lay off 3,000 at the Environmental Protection Agency, which is fighting the long-term dangers of climate change, including increased flooding. He also wants to slash 11 percent from the budget of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which helps people recover from floods.

Trump seems to be ignoring the votes for president he received in flood-prone states like Texas, where the blues classic "Texas Flood" was written. Much of the country is at risk for flooding due to spring thaws, heavy rains, and waters breaching the banks of rivers, lakes, streams, and creeks across the nation.

FEMA, which issues most of the nation's flood insurance, reports that it has written policies in every state. In fact, the insurance program is $24.6 billion in the red because it never recovered from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Super Storm Sandy in 2012. The embattled agency poorly managed recovery efforts after both weather events, turning down legitimate damage claims from property owners. But FEMA needs an effective overhaul, not an assault on its budget.

The president would be wise to consider several bills moving through Congress, including one sponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) that would make flood insurance more affordable and cut costs by ending practices like hiring private attorneys to litigate claims.

The flood insurance program is up for reauthorization in September. Now is the time to reform it. Congress needs to give property owners more incentives to sell their land to be used as buffers against flood waters.

If the Republican Congress instead fails to reauthorize flood insurance, it could reduce property values by more than $1.2 trillion. At that point, Mexico may need to build a wall to keep America's flood refugees from crossing the border.

Despite all the ridiculous climate-change denials coming out of the Trump administration, sea levels are rising and flooding is getting worse. This is a serious problem that deserves a serious answer from the president, not harassment of vulnerable families in flood zones.