WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.600 I want you to just picture a landscape that's 00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:06.320 been completely transformed. You've got this 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:09.359 brown, almost oily blanket of mud over everything, 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:13.339 twisted metal sticking up, and huge ancient trees 00:00:13.339 --> 00:00:16.800 just uprooted and thrown aside. This is the aftermath 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:19.059 of a massive weather event, Hurricane Helene, 00:00:19.339 --> 00:00:22.160 and it didn't just hit the coast, it roared inland, 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:25.350 triggering these just... devastating landslides 00:00:25.350 --> 00:00:27.109 through the mountains of western North Carolina. 00:00:27.350 --> 00:00:29.929 You see that raw power, that destruction, but 00:00:29.929 --> 00:00:32.149 the real trauma, that starts when you realize 00:00:32.149 --> 00:00:34.649 your whole life's investment, your home, is just, 00:00:34.649 --> 00:00:36.429 it's rubble. And you're still on the hook for 00:00:36.429 --> 00:00:38.710 the mortgage. Exactly. For a structure you can't 00:00:38.710 --> 00:00:41.429 even safely step inside, that's the moment the 00:00:41.429 --> 00:00:43.869 natural disaster becomes a personal catastrophe. 00:00:44.070 --> 00:00:47.859 And that feeling, that utter devastation, compounded 00:00:47.859 --> 00:00:49.740 by just being stuck, unable to move forward. 00:00:49.780 --> 00:00:51.799 That's what we're focusing on today. We're exploring 00:00:51.799 --> 00:00:55.079 what happens when the vital safety nets, the 00:00:55.079 --> 00:00:57.179 federal agencies designed to help people recover, 00:00:57.719 --> 00:00:59.939 are stretched beyond their breaking point. And 00:00:59.939 --> 00:01:02.000 the consequences don't just stop in one community. 00:01:02.039 --> 00:01:04.739 They ripple out across the whole country. Yeah, 00:01:04.739 --> 00:01:06.900 even challenging the very stability of American 00:01:06.900 --> 00:01:09.280 science. It's really a study in extremes. You 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:12.379 have extreme weather hitting extreme policy shifts. 00:01:12.579 --> 00:01:16.200 And that forces people to make these really extreme 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:18.599 decisions. Welcome to Meteorology Matters, the 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:21.200 podcast that dives deep into the science, chaos, 00:01:21.459 --> 00:01:23.500 and stories behind the weather that shapes our 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:26.280 world. This show was created by meteorologist 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:29.859 Rob Jones. Now, let's get into today's episode 00:01:29.859 --> 00:01:32.599 of Meteorology Matters. Okay, so let's look closer 00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:35.040 at that devastation from Hurricane Helene. This 00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:39.209 was back in September of 2024. And the tragedy 00:01:39.209 --> 00:01:41.950 was really defined by water and earth just moving 00:01:41.950 --> 00:01:44.450 where they shouldn't. Landslides, floods, they 00:01:44.450 --> 00:01:46.769 ravaged these inland areas. And that's a thing. 00:01:46.969 --> 00:01:48.969 These were families who, unlike people on the 00:01:48.969 --> 00:01:51.430 coast, rarely faced mandatory evacuations. They 00:01:51.430 --> 00:01:53.689 were caught completely off guard. And the financial 00:01:53.689 --> 00:01:56.280 toll is just... It's hard to even comprehend. 00:01:56.359 --> 00:01:58.299 We hear about people like Elizabeth Clark, a 00:01:58.299 --> 00:02:00.659 neonatal nurse. Her home's foundation was completely 00:02:00.659 --> 00:02:03.519 wrecked. Over a year later, she still owes $270 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:06.280 ,000 on a house that's, well, it's unlivable. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:09.500 So her choice is what? Ruin her credit or keep 00:02:09.500 --> 00:02:11.719 making payments on a ghost property? It's an 00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:15.039 impossible situation. So the natural response 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:17.360 for these families is to turn to the federal 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:20.340 government's voluntary buyout program. It's run 00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:23.370 by FEMA. the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 00:02:23.610 --> 00:02:25.490 And it's supposed to be a win -win, really. Right. 00:02:26.150 --> 00:02:28.210 It helps victims get the pre -storm value of 00:02:28.210 --> 00:02:30.750 their home so they can move on. And it makes 00:02:30.750 --> 00:02:33.969 sure that that risky piece of land becomes permanent 00:02:33.969 --> 00:02:37.069 open space. You reduce future risk. And this 00:02:37.069 --> 00:02:39.930 isn't some new experimental initiative. The research 00:02:39.930 --> 00:02:41.969 we looked at shows this has been a critical tool 00:02:41.969 --> 00:02:45.409 for... for decades. Right. Since the 80s, they've 00:02:45.409 --> 00:02:47.889 acquired something like, what, over 43 ,000 properties? 00:02:47.990 --> 00:02:50.689 Exactly. Across almost every state. So it works, 00:02:50.930 --> 00:02:53.550 but, and this is a big but, it's never been fast. 00:02:53.610 --> 00:02:55.509 Never. I think the median time is something like 00:02:55.509 --> 00:02:57.669 five years, right? From application to closing. 00:02:57.949 --> 00:03:01.469 About five years, yeah. Which is already a painful 00:03:01.469 --> 00:03:04.750 weight for a family in limbo. But the situation 00:03:04.750 --> 00:03:08.569 in North Carolina after Helene, it suggests the 00:03:08.569 --> 00:03:10.909 system hasn't just slowed down. It's had a total 00:03:10.909 --> 00:03:14.520 breakdown. A complete breakdown. Over 800 storm 00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:16.800 victims applied for these buyouts. And the state 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:18.560 officials, they really tried to speed things 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:22.340 up. They processed nearly 600 of those requests 00:03:22.340 --> 00:03:24.879 and sent them on to Washington for federal approval. 00:03:25.340 --> 00:03:28.060 That was by December 2025. And the number of 00:03:28.060 --> 00:03:30.300 those 600 applications that have gotten final 00:03:30.300 --> 00:03:33.520 federal approval? Zero. Zero. More than 13 months 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:36.719 after the storm, hundreds of families are just 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:40.300 trapped. trapped in this financial and emotional 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:43.319 limbo. Yeah, you see the real human cost in stories 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:46.159 about couples like Carrie and Steve Harrow, both 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:49.500 in their 70s. A landslide just, it literally 00:03:49.500 --> 00:03:51.759 devoured their home. And now they're in counseling 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:53.639 for trauma, just struggling for some kind of 00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:56.780 closure. And that indefinite pause, it's a profound 00:03:56.780 --> 00:03:59.439 psychological burden. The research really emphasizes 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:01.360 this. Carrie Hayo said it perfectly. She said, 00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:03.599 it's like if your mother died and you couldn't 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:06.240 bury her, you can't complete the mourning. Wow. 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:09.439 That just puts it in perspective. The whole recovery 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:11.460 process has stalled because that final step, 00:04:11.580 --> 00:04:15.139 that safety net, has just vanished. And even 00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:17.639 officials are frustrated. North Carolina's governor 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:20.540 called the federal paralysis absolutely unacceptable. 00:04:20.779 --> 00:04:23.040 Well, it is. I mean, he pointed out the simple, 00:04:23.180 --> 00:04:25.899 devastating fact that families are paying mortgages 00:04:25.899 --> 00:04:28.939 on destroyed homes while they wait and wait. 00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:31.240 This is so much more than a bureaucratic hiccup. 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:34.439 It's a critical failure. So why? That's the question. 00:04:34.519 --> 00:04:38.550 Why this unprecedented backlog? Even if the process 00:04:38.550 --> 00:04:41.589 is slow, why the total silence? Well, we know 00:04:41.589 --> 00:04:43.850 from policy experts that a program like this, 00:04:44.089 --> 00:04:46.670 it requires dedicated, specialized federal staff. 00:04:46.870 --> 00:04:48.930 You need people reviewing environmental compliance, 00:04:49.189 --> 00:04:51.930 property values, making sure all the legal boxes 00:04:51.930 --> 00:04:53.930 are checked. And if those experts aren't there? 00:04:54.009 --> 00:04:56.689 The entire system grinds to a halt. OK, so let's 00:04:56.689 --> 00:04:59.629 connect this failure directly to the broader 00:04:59.629 --> 00:05:01.910 policy landscape. We've said these delays are 00:05:01.910 --> 00:05:04.470 way worse than typical red tape. And the research 00:05:04.470 --> 00:05:06.470 we've synthesized points to something much deeper. 00:05:06.439 --> 00:05:09.199 the active destabilization of the federal agencies 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:11.639 themselves. That is the crucial distinction. 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:14.019 What the research clearly indicates is that the 00:05:14.019 --> 00:05:17.100 system wasn't just neglected, it was intentionally 00:05:17.100 --> 00:05:20.699 compromised. The studies highlight these deep 00:05:20.699 --> 00:05:23.500 staffing cuts and, critically, this pervasive 00:05:23.500 --> 00:05:25.939 uncertainty about the mission of these life -saving 00:05:25.939 --> 00:05:28.480 agencies. We have to be really blunt here because 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:30.899 the research insists on it. We have to connect 00:05:30.899 --> 00:05:32.680 these impacts to the current administration. 00:05:33.339 --> 00:05:35.379 We are talking about the effects of policies 00:05:35.379 --> 00:05:37.480 from the presidential administration led by Donald 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:40.540 Trump. This paralysis is happening right now. 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:42.540 Right. And this is where the research gets into 00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:45.259 the... the mechanisms of that destabilization. 00:05:45.699 --> 00:05:47.819 The studies document the creation of something 00:05:47.819 --> 00:05:49.819 called the Department of Government Efficiency, 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:53.120 DOGE. DOGE, right. Right. The White House framed 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:56.100 it as this major cost -cutting crusade. But the 00:05:56.100 --> 00:05:58.540 operational effect was just hollowing out agency 00:05:58.540 --> 00:06:00.959 expertise. That's right. The administration's 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:03.759 focus, according to the findings, was on disrupting 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:06.160 what was already there, ripping up contracts, 00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:09.329 issuing hiring freezes. And searching for keywords 00:06:09.329 --> 00:06:12.430 in grant applications, things like climate change, 00:06:12.689 --> 00:06:16.329 DEI, or even the word women with the goal of 00:06:16.329 --> 00:06:19.250 just terminating projects that didn't align with 00:06:19.250 --> 00:06:21.610 the president's priorities. So instead of focusing 00:06:21.610 --> 00:06:24.930 on science and disaster readiness, all the internal 00:06:24.930 --> 00:06:27.689 energy of these agencies was being redirected 00:06:27.689 --> 00:06:31.629 to navigate this. this ideological chaos. And 00:06:31.629 --> 00:06:34.970 the research shows that even after DOG was formally 00:06:34.970 --> 00:06:37.850 shut down, its mission was basically institutionalized. 00:06:38.110 --> 00:06:40.389 It just kept compelling science mission agencies 00:06:40.389 --> 00:06:43.990 to change their grant review process to prioritize 00:06:43.990 --> 00:06:46.850 the president's agenda. This had a huge cascading 00:06:46.850 --> 00:06:48.949 effect. I mean, agencies like the National Science 00:06:48.949 --> 00:06:50.509 Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, 00:06:51.009 --> 00:06:52.889 the research documented how they fundamentally 00:06:52.889 --> 00:06:54.910 changed how they allocated money. They ended 00:06:54.910 --> 00:06:57.490 up giving out 20 percent fewer grants, but they 00:06:57.490 --> 00:07:00.000 were forced to pay out more money. upfront, essentially 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.300 rushing appropriations to spend funds before 00:07:02.300 --> 00:07:04.519 the fiscal year ended under these constantly 00:07:04.519 --> 00:07:06.660 shifting rules. You can actually quantify the 00:07:06.660 --> 00:07:09.699 damage to their capacity. By December 2025, the 00:07:09.699 --> 00:07:12.160 research shows that over 200 ,000 civil servants 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.819 had left the federal workforce. Not all fired, 00:07:14.819 --> 00:07:17.160 but through attrition, through these targeted 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:21.160 policy shifts, they just left. And that includes 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:24.779 thousands of crucial staff. Nearly 5 ,000 from 00:07:24.779 --> 00:07:27.360 NASA, 600 from the National Science Foundation. 00:07:27.639 --> 00:07:29.860 And so many others from the agencies directly 00:07:29.860 --> 00:07:32.459 responsible for weather, for climate, for disaster 00:07:32.459 --> 00:07:35.139 response. I mean, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 00:07:35.139 --> 00:07:37.500 Administration, when you talk about those 600 00:07:37.500 --> 00:07:40.379 buyout requests stalled in Washington, the lack 00:07:40.379 --> 00:07:42.879 of staff isn't some abstraction. You need procurement 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:46.779 officers, environmental review specialists, legal 00:07:46.779 --> 00:07:49.339 deems. And if those roles are empty, the applications 00:07:49.339 --> 00:07:51.660 literally cannot move forward. They just sit 00:07:51.660 --> 00:07:53.870 there. So the conclusion that the researchers 00:07:53.870 --> 00:07:56.769 draw is, it's stark. The very mechanisms that 00:07:56.769 --> 00:07:58.870 are meant to protect the most vulnerable, disaster 00:07:58.870 --> 00:08:00.829 -hit Americans are being crippled. Crippled by 00:08:00.829 --> 00:08:03.149 intentional cuts and ideological redirection. 00:08:03.350 --> 00:08:05.910 And the analysis suggests a clear pattern. The 00:08:05.910 --> 00:08:08.870 system is prioritizing political aims while neglecting 00:08:08.870 --> 00:08:10.970 the poor and middle -class populations that are 00:08:10.970 --> 00:08:12.910 being hit by these increasingly extreme weather 00:08:12.910 --> 00:08:15.610 events, like Helene. So if the government is 00:08:15.610 --> 00:08:18.290 tearing apart these life -saving agencies, who's 00:08:18.290 --> 00:08:21.040 left to bear the burden? The research points 00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:24.439 to a massive, and I mean accelerated, exodus. 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:27.439 An exodus of skilled workers, of academics, of 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:30.980 wealth all leaving the United States. The anxiety 00:08:30.980 --> 00:08:34.360 is just palpable. There's this phrase being shared 00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:37.159 all over professional communities online. The 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:40.019 new American dream is leaving America. And the 00:08:40.019 --> 00:08:42.559 numbers back that up. The volume of Americans 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:45.889 formally moving abroad. It doubled in the first 00:08:45.889 --> 00:08:48.110 quarter of 2025 compared to the year before. 00:08:48.250 --> 00:08:50.149 Yeah, and it's not a fringe movement. Four out 00:08:50.149 --> 00:08:52.289 of 10 Americans say they're actively interested 00:08:52.289 --> 00:08:54.649 in leaving for a better life. And for younger 00:08:54.649 --> 00:08:57.190 people, for Gen Z, that number is more than 6 00:08:57.190 --> 00:09:00.690 in 10. It's huge. It really goes beyond politics. 00:09:00.889 --> 00:09:03.509 It's becoming an economic and a scientific crisis. 00:09:04.009 --> 00:09:06.490 The analysis shows three quarters. Three out 00:09:06.490 --> 00:09:08.809 of four research scientists at American universities 00:09:08.809 --> 00:09:11.230 are actively considering moving outside the country. 00:09:11.429 --> 00:09:13.429 These are the people who once saw the U .S. as 00:09:13.429 --> 00:09:16.149 the absolute center for global innovation. Now 00:09:16.149 --> 00:09:17.850 they're worried about a future that seems to 00:09:17.850 --> 00:09:20.600 be actively rejecting scientific inquiry. And 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:22.559 this has created a huge opportunity for other 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:24.220 countries. I mean, they're not just sitting by. 00:09:24.580 --> 00:09:26.360 You have countries like France launching the 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:28.340 Safe Place for Science program. They're essentially 00:09:28.340 --> 00:09:31.600 sponsoring American scientists. Sponsoring them. 00:09:32.059 --> 00:09:33.940 Yeah. Including those working in critical fields 00:09:33.940 --> 00:09:36.419 like climate change research, whose funding or 00:09:36.419 --> 00:09:38.620 security was threatened by the current administration. 00:09:38.740 --> 00:09:40.659 They're being treated as scientific refugees. 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:43.639 We see these respected, decorated professors, 00:09:44.179 --> 00:09:48.789 including leading experts on... fascism and authoritarian 00:09:48.789 --> 00:09:51.870 regimes, choosing to move their entire research 00:09:51.870 --> 00:09:54.470 operations to places like Toronto. They're seeking 00:09:54.470 --> 00:09:57.610 intellectual safety. Abra. And the future talent 00:09:57.610 --> 00:09:59.769 pipeline is being cut off, too. International 00:09:59.769 --> 00:10:02.370 student enrollment dropped by about 17 percent 00:10:02.370 --> 00:10:05.049 this fall. Which is attributed mainly to shifts 00:10:05.049 --> 00:10:08.070 in immigration policy and anti -DEI policies 00:10:08.070 --> 00:10:11.370 on campuses. And that has a real quantifiable 00:10:11.370 --> 00:10:13.710 impact. It could cost the U .S. economy seven 00:10:13.710 --> 00:10:16.000 billion dollars a year. And the loss of skilled 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:18.580 professionals isn't abstract. You see these online 00:10:18.580 --> 00:10:21.639 communities for IT consultants, architects, engineers, 00:10:22.259 --> 00:10:24.940 all actively planning their exit, using their 00:10:24.940 --> 00:10:27.919 resources to find a secure path out. But here's 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:30.039 the starkest difference the research identifies. 00:10:31.100 --> 00:10:33.360 The class divide in who can actually escape, 00:10:33.820 --> 00:10:36.179 while the middle class and the poor, people like 00:10:36.179 --> 00:10:38.519 Elizabeth Clark and the Hayes, are stuck waiting 00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:41.019 for a FEMA buyout that might never come. Yeah. 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:44.539 The very wealthy have a plan B. A reliable one. 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:46.700 Right. We're seeing this booming business in 00:10:46.700 --> 00:10:49.759 what they call golden visas. It's basically an 00:10:49.759 --> 00:10:51.799 insurance policy against domestic instability. 00:10:52.700 --> 00:10:54.779 High net worth individuals are not waiting around. 00:10:55.179 --> 00:10:57.990 They're investing huge sums. to purchase residency 00:10:57.990 --> 00:11:00.769 or citizenship in stable foreign countries. We're 00:11:00.769 --> 00:11:02.769 talking about mid -career professionals paying 00:11:02.769 --> 00:11:06.929 upwards of 750 ,000 euros for Maltese citizenship. 00:11:07.129 --> 00:11:09.210 Which gives them the right to live and work across 00:11:09.210 --> 00:11:12.070 the entire European Union. Or for a smaller investment, 00:11:12.370 --> 00:11:15.450 250 ,000 euros, buying property in Greece for 00:11:15.450 --> 00:11:17.649 a residency option. They're betting against the 00:11:17.649 --> 00:11:19.570 long -term stability of the United States. And 00:11:19.570 --> 00:11:23.250 the research emphasizes this chilling class segmentation. 00:11:23.370 --> 00:11:25.950 Those with the means are securing an exit. those 00:11:25.950 --> 00:11:28.330 who depend on the social safety net. They're 00:11:28.330 --> 00:11:30.309 left devastated by the failure of those same 00:11:30.309 --> 00:11:32.710 institutions. And the economy suffers in the 00:11:32.710 --> 00:11:35.610 long term, too. The loss of retirees' spending 00:11:35.610 --> 00:11:40.190 power alone could remove a $1 .5 trillion economic 00:11:40.190 --> 00:11:42.269 footprint from U .S. communities. So when you 00:11:42.269 --> 00:11:44.309 synthesize all this information, you see the 00:11:44.309 --> 00:11:47.009 failures in North Carolina aren't isolated incidents. 00:11:47.309 --> 00:11:49.570 Not at all. They're deeply connected to this 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:52.919 broader national policy of destabilizing crucial 00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:56.159 federal agencies. Which in turn fuels this exodus 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:58.720 of the skilled workforce and the wealthy capital 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:01.679 the country really needs to manage future challenges. 00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:04.440 It's like when expertise and science are treated 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:07.179 as liabilities instead of assets, whether in 00:12:07.179 --> 00:12:10.120 science policy or disaster mitigation. The consequences 00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:12.299 fall hardest on the people who need government 00:12:12.299 --> 00:12:16.120 support the most. The researchers consistently 00:12:16.120 --> 00:12:18.840 emphasize that an America that rejects its scientific 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:21.970 capacity, its cultural blend, It stands to lose 00:12:21.970 --> 00:12:24.529 its global economic edge. And more importantly, 00:12:24.789 --> 00:12:26.990 its practical ability to respond to increasing 00:12:26.990 --> 00:12:28.950 threats, especially those coming from the Gulf 00:12:28.950 --> 00:12:31.169 of Mexico and elsewhere. It just brings home 00:12:31.169 --> 00:12:33.730 the urgency of these decisions, especially as 00:12:33.730 --> 00:12:36.470 meteorology becomes more and more critical. The 00:12:36.470 --> 00:12:39.570 inability to properly fund or staff the National 00:12:39.570 --> 00:12:42.870 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or FEMA, 00:12:43.370 --> 00:12:45.929 it's not some abstract budget cut. It's Elizabeth 00:12:45.929 --> 00:12:48.210 Clark potentially losing her career and home 00:12:48.210 --> 00:12:51.899 to foreclosure. It's the unable to find closure 00:12:51.899 --> 00:12:54.120 after their paradise was destroyed. And this 00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:56.779 cycle, according to the research, is just profoundly 00:12:56.779 --> 00:12:59.139 self -reinforcing. If you cut the funding for 00:12:59.139 --> 00:13:01.480 the science, that predicts the next storm. And 00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:03.320 you cut the staff or the agency that cleans up 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:05.539 the last one. The uncertainty and chaos that 00:13:05.539 --> 00:13:07.799 follows naturally drives away the talent and 00:13:07.799 --> 00:13:09.759 wealth that the country needs to recover. Before 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:12.879 we wrap up... If this particular story resonated 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:15.200 with you, please take a moment to like, follow, 00:13:15.539 --> 00:13:17.820 comment, and rate the podcast. It really helps 00:13:17.820 --> 00:13:19.720 us continue to bring you these kinds of analyses. 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:22.480 We want to leave you with this provocative thought 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:25.059 built on the research we've explored today. In 00:13:25.059 --> 00:13:26.840 the country's most talented professionals and 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:28.700 its wealthiest citizens are actively seeking 00:13:28.700 --> 00:13:32.000 an exit strategy. What does that imply about 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:33.840 the stability and resilience of the American 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:36.240 homeland for everyone else when the next storm 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:40.179 hits? You've been listening to Meteorology Matters, 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:42.980 created by meteorologist Rob Jones. If you want 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:44.639 to keep up with the latest in weather science, 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:47.419 you can follow meteorologist Rob Jones on Instagram 00:13:47.419 --> 00:13:51.240 at Meteorologist and on TikTok at TVMeteorologist. 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:53.980 Head over to YouTube and follow Rob Jones Hurricane, 00:13:54.100 --> 00:13:56.019 where you can also find the Meteorology Matters 00:13:56.019 --> 00:13:59.039 podcast playlist. Thanks for listening, and remember, 00:13:59.340 --> 00:14:00.460 meteorology always matters.