The job of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is to assist communities hit by natural disasters. In Puerto Rico, FEMA worked to deliver food, water, and emergency services after Hurricane Maria (see "Puerto Rico: What Other Americans Should Know").
But before that, hurricanes had pounded Houston, Texas; the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI); and Florida. And this past summer, wildfires consumed millions of acres in the Western states. FEMA’s resources have been severely strained. This cartoon uses Uncle Sam (a symbol of the U.S.) and a classic game called Twister to comment on the situation. Study it, then answer the questions.
1. What does each of the circles on the Twister game mat represent?
2. How is Uncle Sam feeling, and how does the cartoon tell us?
3. How might the challenges that FEMA faces be similar to those of a person playing Twister?
4. What other government burdens might stretch Uncle Sam to limits similar to these?