FEMA Internal Documents Warn About Hurricane Unpreparedness
WASHINGTON — Hurricane season starts in just over a week and internal documents of the Federal Emergency Management Agency acknowledge the agency is not ready.
Multiple news agencies quoted sometimes unnamed sources in recent days saying that Trump administration cutbacks in staffing and budget mean there will be fewer resources available this year to help hurricane victims.
Part of the documentation came from slides presented during an internal briefing to top staff members.
One of the slides said, “As FEMA transforms to a smaller footprint, the intent for this hurricane season is not well understood, thus FEMA is not ready.”
Another slide said that the “quality of people lost cannot be replaced right away.”
Since January, about 200 FEMA employees among a staff of roughly 20,000 have been fired. About 20% of the workforce is expected to take a buyout offered by the Department of Government Efficiency.
FEMA manages the federal response to disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and wildfires.
Meteorologists are predicting above average hurricane activity this year along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
The predictions suggest a likelihood of 17 tropical storms and nine hurricanes, four of which will be major hurricanes.
President Donald Trump is suggesting the possibility of getting rid of FEMA completely.
Trump has described FEMA as an inefficient waste of federal funds and a “mostly failed situation.” The agency is operating with a $33.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2025.
He suggests giving emergency relief money to states to determine how to manage local disasters.
He also created a FEMA review council to recommend reforms for the agency. One of the reforms already being discussed in the Trump administration is higher standards that states must meet to receive disaster relief.
Trump fired FEMA’s acting director last week after he disagreed with the president’s plans for the agency.
“As the senior adviser to the president on disasters and emergency management … I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Cameron Hamilton said during a House Appropriations Committee hearing.
A Department of Homeland Security statement offered assurances that FEMA was prepared. It said that “FEMA is fully activated in preparation for hurricane season.”
A FEMA internal document obtained by CNN and ABC News contradicted the FEMA statement.
It said that many normal hurricane preparations have “been derailed this year due to other activities like staffing and contracts.”
Since the layoffs and employee buyouts started, FEMA has reduced its training and joint efforts with other agencies and with state emergency coordinators. Staff members are being threatened with additional layoffs.
“If an organization hears it should be eliminated or abolished, the resources and cooperation are not there,” an internal document says. “[The] intent cannot be wind down and be ready to support [the] nation in a major response.”
One major FEMA program that already has been eliminated is the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grants.
The program provided about $500 million a year to make vulnerable communities more resistant to disasters, such as by building infrastructure unlikely to be damaged by hurricanes. The program covered 75% of the cost with the rest coming from local communities.
On April 4, FEMA announced that BRIC was shutting down.
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