From the WashPost: N.C. counties that busted budgets after Helene still waiting for FEMA to pay them back.
A year after Hurricane Helene, North Carolina communities that exhausted their budgets on storm cleanup and recovery are still waiting for FEMA reimbursement.
From the NY Times: How FEMA Is Forcing Disaster-Struck Towns to Fend for Themselves. President Trump has said he wants to eventually shift the burden of disaster relief and recovery onto states. It’s already happening.
“This could be the future for more communities across the country, based on Mr. Trump’s vision for emergency management in the United States: one that would transfer responsibility for disaster recovery from the federal government to the states in all but the largest catastrophes. For many places, it is already the reality.
FEMA has been delaying disaster declarations and aid payments to communities, adding new hurdles to access some grant funds and cutting off the flow of money intended to boost resilience and prevent future disasters from causing so much damage.”
From HSToday: The Shifting Emergency Management Balance
“Throughout this year, the very idea of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as we have known it has come under debate. What was once a stable pillar in America’s disaster response architecture is now being reshaped. Proposals emerging from the Trump administration suggest shifting large portions of responsibility from the federal government to states, scaling back FEMA’s authority, and even “phasing it out” after hurricane season. The stakes are enormous for states, local governments, and the communities that depend on federal assistance when disaster strikes.”
From HSToday: PERSPECTIVE: Emergency Management Has Never Been More Indispensable
“Through it all, we have been reminded of who we are. Emergency managers are biased for action by nature, steady hands in chaos, problem-solvers under pressure, and trusted voices when everything else feels uncertain. We do not just respond to disasters; we help communities rebuild their lives and restore hope.
But that mission only works when we remember what emergency management is truly about. It is not forms or frameworks, it is people. It is about being the calm in the storm, ensuring that families can return home, that children can return to school, and that communities can return to something resembling normal. “
From E&E News: FEMA Canceled $18 B in Disaster Payments.
https://www.eenews.net/articles/fema-canceled-11b-in-disaster-payments-to-states/
The unannounced move came after President Donald Trump threatened to reduce FEMA aid, jarring emergency management professionals.
“The Trump administration canceled $11 billion in disaster payments to states in an unprecedented move that could signal a slowdown in the flow of federal funding after extreme weather events.
The unannounced move was revealed in a Sept. 15 government report showing that the Federal Emergency Management Agency withheld $10.9 billion it had planned to give 45 states in the final two months of the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The withheld money, which hasn’t been previously reported, was to reimburse the states for emergency costs related to the pandemic.
FEMA said it “shifted to fiscal year 2026” the planned reimbursements, the report noted in small print, marking the government’s only known acknowledgment that it had delayed the payments. The report does not indicate when the money would be paid, raising concern among emergency management groups about the effect the move could have on state budgets and whether it was a sign of President Donald Trump’s threat to reduce disaster aid to states.”
From Homeland Security News Wire: Floods of Doubt. Almost a third of Americans live in unincorporated communities beyond city limits, where disaster aid can confuse and frustrate.
“Everyone knew the path to recovery would require a coordinated effort, one that has long since started. But in the days and weeks after the storm, Stallins and many neighbors felt ignored by the county government even as it insisted that it was doing everything possible to help. This gap in perception highlights a dilemma facing the 30 percent of Americans who live in unincorporated communities like those along Big Sandy Creek. Without a municipal government to rely on, such enclaves depend on county and state officials whose response may come late, seem invisible, or fall short of expectations. This crisis of trust has followed climate disasters from California to Appalachia and threatens to undermine efforts to prepare for and respond to them.”
What Cuts to FEMA, Climate Agencies Mean During a Government Shutdown
“As a government shutdown looms, two storms are brewing in the Atlantic. For many, it raises the question of what might happen if communities are impacted by extreme weather while the federal government halts all non-essential work.
The deadline to avert a shutdown is tonight at midnight. A number of federal agencies focused on climate and science stand to be left in the lurch—but after already operating in limited capacity after cuts earlier this year, it might not be much of a change. The limited staff, funding, and data heading into a shutdown, however, could leave the federal government even more unequipped to prepare for and respond to climate risks.”
From eenews: How FEMA and NWS Would Weather a Government Shutdown.
“Federal disaster operations and weather forecasting would likely continue even if the government shuts down this week.
Roughly 85 percent of 25,000 federal disaster employees are exempt from furloughs, according to a Sept. 19 memo from the Department of Homeland Security. And the National Weather Service told POLITICO’s E&E News that it would continue to issue warnings and watches even if Congress does not approve spending legislation by the end of the fiscal year at midnight Tuesday.”
From the WashPost: National Weather Service at ‘breaking point’ as storm approaches. Staffing cuts under the Trump administration mean forecasters are struggling to maintain normal operations.
“Some National Weather Service staffers are working double shifts to keep forecasting offices open. Others are operating under a “buddy system,” in which adjacent offices help monitor severe weather in understaffed regions. Still others are jettisoning services deemed not absolutely necessary, such as making presentations to schoolchildren.
The Trump administration’s cuts to the Weather Service — where nearly 600 workers, or about 1 in every 7, have left through firings, resignations or retirements — are pushing the agency to its limits, according to interviews with current and former staffers.“
Recovery Diva 