Online Army Draws Attention To Elon Musk And The Nepal Flood Disaster

This is a story about disaster relief and government cuts, not home energy upgrades, but here's what happened. Massive flooding in Nepal, tied to a glacial event, has killed at least 752 people with 2,502 still missing; China reports additional deaths and missing people, including foreigners in Tibet. About 100 US citizens are among the missing in Nepal and Tibet.

The news connects the disaster to earlier budget cuts made under the Trump administration's "DOGE" cost-cutting office, led by Elon Musk. Former USAID official Jeremy Konyndyk says DOGE canceled seven disaster risk reduction projects in Nepal and $420 million in climate-related work at NASA, including a joint USAID-NASA program that tracked flood prediction, early warning systems, and dangerous glacial lakes in Nepal. Konyndyk notes it's hard to say whether those programs could have prevented this particular flood, calling it an unusual event, but says that was their purpose.

The piece also points to US flood risks, noting North Carolina's 2024 flood-disclosure law took effect shortly before Hurricane Helene struck the state, killing over 100 people. It draws a comparison to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, when warning systems existed but couldn't reach people in time. The State Department says it's sending just over $3.6 million in emergency aid to Nepal, including food assistance for up to 10,000 flood-affected households. There is no news here about home energy programs, rebates, or upgrades.