Less than two months before the official start of the hurricanes season, the main agency for the country's disasters faces an uncertain future. Employees working through the Federal Emergency Management Agency have told Wired that a rapid erosion of tools, external partnerships and practices – as well as the imminent threat of endowment cuts and the exodus of higher staff – are bad news for the country while it is heading for summer, even if the agency reaches the somewhat intact season. FEMA staff who spoke in Wired have obtained anonymity because they are not allowed to speak to the press.
The agency has not yet seen “huge radical changes, but it doesn't take much to completely screw a response (disaster)”, explains an employee. “We are set up for a really, really bad situation.”
FEMA was created in 1979 as an independent agency by an executive decree signed by President Jimmy Carter; After September 11, he was moved under the Ministry of Internal Security. In recent years, costly disasters such as Hurglans Ian, Ida and Hélène, as well as the COVVI-19 pandemic, have caused the agency soar to soar.
The agency has long been a favorite target to conspiracy theorists. But last year, after Hurricane Helene crossed certain parts of North Carolina, Donald Trump, encouraged by right influencers, amplified disinformation Around the agency's response to the storm, putting a political bullseye on FEMA leading to its second presidency.
During his first week in power, Trump signed a executive decree Establish a council to examine the past disasters managed by FEMA and assess its current capacity to respond to events, the order criticizing “the efficiency, priorities and skills of the agency”. At the end of March, internal security secretary Kristi Noem, said publicly at a meeting of the cabinet that the DHS “would eliminate FEMA”. A day later, according to the reports of Politico And the Washington Post, Noem stated a plan to reduce the agency in response to an immediate disaster by October And move it within the reach of the White House.
“Unlike the unprepared, shameful and inadequate response of the previous administration to natural disasters such as Hurgagan Hélène, the Trump administration is committed to ensuring that Americans (sic) by emergencies will obtain associated aid in the rapid and effective way,” said Wired in an email. “All operational and preparation requirements will continue to be managed without interruption of close coordination with local and state officials before the 2025 hurricane season. Emergency management is the best when led by local and state authorities.”
Exactly who is part of the examination board appointed by the White House – other than Noem and the defense secretary Pete Hegseth, Cochairs appointed by the decree – recalls a mystery; a few claim the legislators Having been used to serve, but no public list has been published with official members. While the January decree requires that the Council would meet by April 24, the only action of the council seems to be a request public comment “To understand the (public) experience with FEMA during disasters.” During the meeting at the end of March, CNN reported that Noem and other officials have discussed the possibility of canceling the executive decree which completely established the council. (Wired asked FEMA a list of council members and updates at the moment when they plan to meet; the agency has not provided these details.)
