Several news sources have reported delays in planning for hurricanes at FEMA presently. Here is one example:
From Reuters: Staff losses and low morale are derailing FEMA hurricane preparations, internal document says
Initial Report titled The Resilient and Sustainable Rebuilding of Los Angeles County.
More details are available in an article on Linked In.
That is the title of an article in the Wall St. Journal on May 14. It is a reminder that more than the ability to help respond to and recovery from natural disasters is the responsibility of FEMA.
I do not have a subscription and cannot violate their copyright, so you will have to find a way to access the compelling article. Another argument for not attempting to abolish the agency!
From the GAO: Disaster Assistance: Updated FEMA Guidance Could Better Help Communities Apply for Individual Assistance
New report released on May 14th.
New report from PewTrusts: How States Can Build Disaster-Ready Budgets
Strategies for reducing fiscal risks in the face of rising costs
“Policymakers at every level of government are grappling with the rising costs of storms, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters and how best to aid affected communities. As disasters have grown in frequency and severity, so too has the strain on public finances and the urgency to update budgeting practices, especially in the states, to help public officials plan for changing spending needs.
A series of studies from The Pew Charitable Trusts from 2018 to 2022 examined how states manage the fiscal impact of natural disasters, including their spending practices, funding mechanisms, and risk reduction (mitigation) investments. The research revealed that data on public disaster spending is lacking, that states’ typical budgeting approaches have not adapted to recent disaster trends, and that efforts to reduce loss of life and property, which could help control rising costs in the long term, are inconsistently and insufficiently funded.
As a result of these findings, along with lessons learned from observations of state practices and conversations with public finance and emergency management practitioners, Pew developed a set of strategies that state budget officials can adopt to improve disaster budgeting.”
From The Hill: Trump wants to make natural disaster victims a state problem
With weather catastrophes becoming more common in the United States these days, communities have counted on two facts.
“First, the federal government has their backs. When state and local resources are insufficient for disaster response and recovery, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) arrives to help. That has been true since President Jimmy Carter created the agency in 1979.
Second, FEMA’s help will be frustrating. Federal assistance will never arrive quickly enough, last long enough, or provide enough resources for people who are traumatized, homeless, without possessions, uninsured and uprooted from schools, neighborhoods and social networks. FEMA’s job is often thankless, but it’s always needed.
However, disaster victims may not be able to count on FEMA much longer. President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have indicated they want the agency to “go away.” More recently, Noem said she will “reorient” the agency. Trump has appointed her to co-chair a FEMA Review Council to “streamline” FEMA so it “delivers rapid, efficient, and mission-focused relief to Americans in need.”
But the administration is not waiting; Trump dismissed the acting head of FEMA last week. He and Noem have pulled billions of dollars out of the agency’s programs to help communities become more disaster resilient, even though the World Economic Forum says effective adaptation strategies can deliver an investment return of $43 per dollar spent. The government says it will no longer track the growing number and cost of big weather disasters.
Trump has also decimated climate science and forecasting at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Last month he dismissed 400 volunteer scientists who analyze and periodically report on anticipated climate impacts in each U.S. region.
Everyone agrees that FEMA, and federal disaster programs generally, need reform. More than 60 disaster programs are scattered across more than 30 federal entities. In recent years, stakeholders and expert organizations have flooded the zone with ideas to improve the government’s disaster responses. The Review Council can benefit from recommendations by the Association of State Floodplain Managers, Harvard Law School, Pew Charitable Trusts, Brookings, the Government Accountability Office, FEMA’s planners and others.”
From the WashPost Editorial Page: America is Becoming Less ready for Natural Disasters.
“The President is destroying programs that help communities prepare for climate effects.”
From Politico: New FEMA head says he will “run right over” staff who resist his changes.
“David Richardson, the new head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told staff on Friday he will “run right over” anyone that resists changes and that all delegation of authority in the agency is immediately suspended.
Richardson spoke one day after he was appointed to replace acting FEMA chief Cameron Hamilton, who was ousted by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after telling a congressional hearing he did not support eliminating the agency.”
From Politico: Congress counters Trump with massive FEMA restructuring plan.
Republicans and Democrats are trying to give Congress a voice in the future of the disaster agency.
“A bipartisan group of House members is drafting a sweeping bill to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency — and in some cases expand its services — in an effort to head off President Donald Trump’s threats to shrink or abolish the agency.
Under the bill, FEMA could pay for major repairs to homes damaged in disasters, instead of only temporary fixes. The agency would be able to penalize states that don’t try to mitigate disasters,,,”
From the NY Times: Leader of FEMA Is Dismissed as Trump Administration Takes Aim at the Agency. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/us/politics/fema-cameron-hamilton.html
The ouster of Cameron Hamilton, less than a month before the start of the hurricane season, came a day after he told lawmakers that FEMA was vital to communities “in their greatest times of need” and should not be eliminated.
Recovery Diva 