Why did FEMA auction off disaster relief trailers 2 days before Harvey hit?

While preparing for Hurricane Harvey to make landfall in Texas, FEMA inexplicably decided to auction off trailers that are used for shelter during emergencies.

In the two days before Harvey hit, FEMA sold more than 100 trailers that were advertised with minor damage. What were they thinking? Doc Thompson and Kal Elsebai puzzled over the latest story of government incompetence on Tuesday’s “The Morning Blaze with Doc Thompson.”

What happened?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA for short, auctioned off 2017-model trailers used for disaster relief at insanely low prices. FEMA uses these trailers to house families during disasters that kick them out of their homes – which is why it’s odd they sold them two days before Harvey hit Texas and flooded tens of thousands of houses. The Associated Press reported the story.

How did FEMA explain it?

According to officials, the trailers were no longer usable and would have cost too much to repair and refurbish. That would sound more plausible if they hadn’t listed 300 trailers sold this year as having no problems or only minor damage.

Has this happened before?

Yes. In 2012, dozens of trailers sat idle around two hours from the New Jersey coast, which was steeling against Superstorm Sandy. Many of the trailers went unused and ended up being auctioned off for extremely low prices.

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