From Reuters: Trump Signs Order to Shift Disaster Preparations from FEMA to State and Local Governments.

“President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that seeks to shift responsibility for disaster preparations to state and local governments, deepening his drive to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The order, first previewed by the White House on March 10, calls for a review of all infrastructure, continuity, and preparedness and response policies to update and simplify federal approaches.”

It said “common sense” investments by state and local governments to address risks ranging from wildfires to hurricanes and cyber attacks would enhance national security, but did not detail what they were or how they would be funded.
“Preparedness is most effectively owned and managed at the state, local, and even individual levels, supported by a competent, accessible, and efficient federal government,” the order said. “When states are empowered to make smart infrastructure choices, taxpayers benefit.”

From the WashPost: Fears of a Drawn-Out Recovery Hang over N.C.

“The specter of a drawn-out recovery looms large in the state, where officials seem determined to move quicker after Helene and avoid the mistakes of the past, even as North Carolina faces the most massive disaster recovery in its history.

For all the desire to get western North Carolina back on its feet, the shared goal to move quickly is colliding with the reality that disaster recovery is almost always frustrating, tedious and too costly for most states and localities to bear without a significant assist from the federal government.”

From Axios: These states could suffer the most without FEMA . Some of the most disaster-prone states could face the greatest financial burdens in a world with less federal relief assistance, a new analysis finds.

“Why it matters: President Trump earlier this year floated “fundamentally overhauling or reforming” FEMA, or “maybe getting rid” of it entirely — fueling concerns that U.S. disaster relief could be thrown into chaos just a few months before another hurricane season spins up.

Driving the news: Trump is reportedly mulling an executive order empowering state and local governments to handle disaster readiness and relief, and previously created a “FEMA review council.”

Certain states — many of them red — would be hit especially hard by reductions in federal relief funding, per a new analysis from the Carnegie Disaster Dollar Database.”

From the Wash Post: Trump vowed to help the N.C. mountains rebuild after Helene. Frustration remains. After Hurricane Helene, a small crew of resident disaster responders went viral for attacking FEMA. Trump officials jumped to attention.

“The lingering frustration across parts of 27 hurricane-hit counties in North Carolina’s Appalachian mountain region speaks to the complexity of rebuilding in a place dotted with Federal Emergency Management Agency centers — but people say they feel abandoned. Trump and his allies have blasted President Joe Biden’s response, feeding an online frenzy that has portrayed FEMA’s response as disastrous”

From the WashPost: FEMA cancels firefighter training amid uncertainty over Trump cuts. FEMA said it was canceling National Fire Academy courses as it ensures its programs and budget fit Trump administration priorities.

Note: a few weeks ago FEMA canceled the annual conference on Emergency Management that had been offered for more than 20 years.

PERSPECTIVE: Future of FEMA
Testimony by Tim Manning at March 4th Congressional Hearing, in article from HSToday.

“FEMA has never been more called upon or its workforce more stretched thin. A growing frequency of catastrophic disasters and a once-in-a-century pandemic have had widespread impacts on emergency management writ large. This changing hazard landscape and operations tempo is now coupled with indiscriminate firings, regressive changes in policy, and freezes in funding resulting in significant impacts on the nation’s preparedness for emergencies, disasters, and potential terrorist attacks. And the impacts are far wider than just the Federal Emergency Management Agency; as we discuss the future of FEMA, I believe we must take a wider, holistic look at the key role FEMA plays in our Nation’s preparedness.”

From Scientific American: FEMA Disaster Aid Freeze Threatens ‘Acute Harm,’ Judge Rules. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-fema-disaster-aid-freeze-threatens-acute-harm-judge-rules/

The Federal Emergency Management Agency must show in one week whether it is complying with a judge’s ruling Thursday that blocks the Trump administration from withholding grants and loans.

In a broad ruling on presidential powers, Chief Judge John McConnell of the Rhode Island District Court cited the withholding of FEMA disaster aid as an example of “acute harm” caused by a federal funding freeze.

From the Natural Hazards Center at the University of CO, this article about the legacy of Claire Rubin: Student Volunteers Carry Claire Rubin’s Legacy Forward.

This is the first time the posting has been about the author!

From the Hill: Key Republican lays out ideas for FEMA reform

“Rep. Dale Strong (R-Ala.) outlined several possible ideas for overhauling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during a House hearing on Tuesday.

Strong, the chair of the emergency management subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee, put forward ideas including moving FEMA out of the Department of Homeland Security and “making it an independent agency with direct access to the President of the United States.”