Head of FEMA Command Center Quits After Trump Says He’ll Phase Out the Agency. The official, Jeremy Greenberg, was in charge of coordinating the national response to major disasters.
Key FEMA Personnel Are Leaving
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More Warnings from Experts
Administration Plans to Phase Out FEMA
The news today is alarming:
From CNN: Trump says he plans to phase out FEMA after 2025 hurricane season
From the WashPost: Trump says governors should be able to handle disasters without FEMA. In remarks to reporters, the president said the administration plans to “wean” states off FEMA assistance after hurricane season ends.
More Views of FEMA Presently
From the WashPost: As disasters loom, emergency managers say they aren’t counting on FEMA. President Donald Trump has said he wants state and local officials to shoulder more of the burden of disaster response, even though what that looks like in practice is unclear.
This is essentially a recap of the situation to date, with added voices.
New Book on Recent Large Scale Disasters Now Available
The second edition of U.S. Emergency Management in the 21st Century From Disaster to Catastrophe was released in May and is readily available. Note that the Diva is one of the editors.
Our understanding of hazards and disasters is rapidly changing, and it is unclear as to whether our existing management systems are adequate to adapt to current and future disasters. Thoroughly updated to include the latest research in the hazards and disasters field, U.S. Emergency Management in the 21st Century continues the tradition of giving readers access to exemplary case studies drawn from a wide variety of hazards and applied fields.
NEW TO THE SECOND EDITION
- Discussion on COVID-19 pandemic and the lacking local capacity for preparedness.
- “Forgotten” hazards (heatwaves and coldwaves) in Phoenix, AZ and Buffalo, N.Y
- New challenges in hurricane preparedness and response with rapid intensification.
- Changing cycles of water volume in the west resulting in storage emergencies.
- Cascading hazards and out-of-sight water crises in the Southwest
- Extreme precipitation resulting in flash flooding in Tennessee, New York City, Montana, and Vermont.
- Updated conclusion describing divergence between federal, state, and local emergency management concerns and priorities.
- A new co-editor, Melanie Gall, recognized for her teaching and scholarship on natural hazards and emergency management.
U.S. Emergency Management in the 21st Century remains an indispensable textbook on disaster case studies, emergency management policy and practice. An essential resource for students, public, and professionals alike.
More Commentary on FEMA
From NPR: FEMA was starting to fix long-standing problems. Then came the Trump administration
From the NYTimes: How Trump Is Changing FEMA as Hurricane Season Begins.
As President Trump remakes the agency, former officials say the changes could leave states without key federal support after disasters.
FEMA Is Still in Shambles
From the New Republic: Trump’s FEMA Overhaul Is Creating Chaos Right Before Hurricane Season is about to start. Hurricane season is about to start and FEMA is still in shambles.
“Chaos in the White House is preventing federal disaster relief from reaching its recipients, sparking fears that the government may face more delays and lapses during the upcoming hurricane season.
The Trump administration issued millions of dollars in relief to Virginia in early April after the state was battered by severe winter storms, but in doing so, the West Wing failed to alert a key player responsible for actually distributing the relief: the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”
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FEMA Chief Unaware of Hurricane Season!
From the NY Times: Acting FEMA Chief Told Staff He Didn’t Know About U.S. Hurricane Season, In a meeting with FEMA staff, David Richardson said he was unaware the United States had a hurricane season. Two staff members said it was unclear if he was serious, but the agency said he was joking.
A more hard-hitting article on the same topic appeared in the Wall St. Journal Yesterday: FEMA Scraps New Hurricane Plan and Reverts to Last Year’s. Agency’s leader suggested he recently learned there was an annual hurricane season.
From NBC News: Inside the scramble to keep FEMA alive ahead of hurricane season. The Trump administration has been moving to drastically cut or even eliminate the disaster response and relief agency, but without a backup ready, it’s moving to keep some key pieces in place.
In Defense of FEMA by LA Congressman Troy Carter
From MSNBC: This year’s hurricane season brings fear of storms and Trump’s plans for FEMA. The idea that state and local governments can step up and do what FEMA does is not only unrealistic, it’s reckless.
I represent a state that knows devastation. In 2021, nearly 500,000 Louisiana households were approved for assistance in the 30 days after Hurricane Ida. But we are not alone. FEMA responded to more than 100 declared disasters in 2024, including back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton that battered Florida and Georgia. In North Carolina, communities are still recovering from Helene’s catastrophic flooding.
Disaster recovery is incredibly difficult even with federal coordination and resources. Without it, we are setting communities up for failure. These actions have consequences — and they will cost lives.
The idea that state and local governments — many of which are already underfunded and understaffed — can assume the full logistical and financial burden carried by FEMA is not only unrealistic, it’s reckless.
We need to invest in FEMA. Strengthen NOAA. Restore staffing and leadership at the National Weather Service. Give state and local governments the tools they need, but do not make them do it alone.
Because when the next disaster hits — and it will — we won’t have time to debate funding formulas or organizational charts. We will need help. Fast. Fair. And federal.
That’s the America our people deserve. And that’s the FEMA we must defend.
Recovery Diva 