“Nicholas Sarwark, chair of the Libertarian National Committee, expresses the heartfelt sympathy of the Libertarian Party to the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana, to the families of those who have perished in the storm, and to all those who have suffered injuries and property damage.”

Libertarian Party Offer Sympathy to Victims of Hurricane Harvey (LP Website)

As the flood waters ebb, we must ask ourselves how to minimize government intervention into insurance markets that exacerbates losses from natural disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, and earthquakes. That’s a long-term policy discussion, but there are also more immediate concerns. The libertarian magazine Reason listed “7 Things Donald Trump Shouldn’t Do After Hurricane Harvey,” such as cracking down on “gouging,” confiscating guns, or centralizing volunteer and relief efforts. Such heavy-handed government intervention in the aftermath of natural disasters makes conditions worse and hampers decentralized relief efforts.

As expected, the Libertarian Party weighs in that cracking down on price gouging is somehow bad. And no one is confiscating guns.

As for centralising volunteer efforts, for many things that makes them more efficient and effective (no duplication, no waste, &c)