FEMA response responsibilities to shift to US states
President Donald Trump has announced plans to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after the current hurricane season ends, according to CNN.
Speaking during an Oval Office briefing on Tuesday, Trump said federal disaster management would be scaled back and that responsibility should fall to individual states.
Trump said: “We want to wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it down to the state level.”
He added: “A governor should be able to handle it, and frankly, if they can’t handle it, the aftermath, then maybe they shouldn’t be governor.”
Trump stated that the Office of the President will begin distributing disaster recovery funds directly, replacing FEMA’s traditional role in disaster aid allocation.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted that the current hurricane season, ending 30 November, could be severe and hazardous.
CNN reported that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees FEMA, supported the move, saying the agency “fundamentally needs to go away as it exists.”
Senior leadership departures raise concerns within FEMA
CNN reported that Jeremy Greenberg, who led FEMA’s Operations Division and National Response Coordination Center, has resigned.
His departure, submitted on Wednesday, follows a series of high-level exits at the agency, which is operating with reduced staff and diminished morale.
FEMA has lost approximately 10% of its workforce since January, according to the report, and may lose up to 30% by the end of 2025.
This would reduce the agency’s staffing from around 26,000 to 18,000.
Officials told CNN that the agency is underprepared for the current hurricane season due to leadership turnover and cuts.
One former senior FEMA official said: “It is clear from the president’s remarks that their plan is to limp through hurricane season and then dismantle the agency.”
The source added: “This is a complete misunderstanding of the role of the federal government in emergency management and disaster response and recovery.”
FEMA Review Council to propose future strategy
A FEMA Review Council has been formed to examine how the agency operates and to propose ways to reduce its functions.
The council is co-chaired by Kristi Noem and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
According to CNN, the council will deliver recommendations later this year aimed at reducing FEMA’s operational scale and revising its remit.
Noem said on Tuesday: “We all know from the past that FEMA has failed thousand if not millions of people, and President Trump does not want to see that continue into the future.”
She added: “While we are running this hurricane season, making sure that we have pre-staged and worked with the regions that are traditionally hit in these areas, we’re also building communication and mutual aid agreements among states to respond to each other so that they can stand on their own two feet with the federal government coming in in catastrophic circumstances with funding.”
States urged to lead disaster response planning
Trump and Noem have suggested that states should develop mutual aid agreements and infrastructure to handle disaster response without federal intervention in most cases.
Trump said: “When you have a tornado or a hurricane or you have a problem of any kind in a state, that’s what you have governors for.”
He added: “They’re supposed to fix those problems.”
CNN reported that concerns remain over states’ ability to replace FEMA’s logistical resources and expertise.
Some officials said that while financial assistance might still be available in extreme circumstances, most states do not have the capacity to manage large-scale emergencies independently.
One unnamed former FEMA leader told CNN that state-level response would lack the support systems FEMA currently provides.
Changes at FEMA during hurricane season preparedness
CNN reported that FEMA has reopened several training facilities and extended contracts for disaster response staff as part of last-minute preparations for the 2025 hurricane season.
David Richardson was appointed to lead FEMA last month despite having no prior experience in emergency management.
Richardson, a former marine and official in the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction office, has replaced senior agency staff with other DHS personnel.
CNN stated that Richardson had initially planned to release an updated disaster response strategy but has since postponed this, saying the agency will operate under the 2024 plan.
The report added that communication gaps between the White House and FEMA have caused delays in aid distribution.
In some instances, FEMA was not informed of approved disaster declarations until days after presidential sign-off.
FEMA to be phased out under Trump administration plan: Summary
President Donald Trump announced that FEMA will be phased out after the 2025 hurricane season.
Trump said responsibility for disaster response should fall to state governments.
CNN reported that federal funding will instead come directly from the president’s office.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects the 2025 hurricane season to be particularly severe.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem supported the decision to reduce FEMA’s role.
Noem co-chairs a FEMA Review Council with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The council will recommend changes to FEMA’s operations and mission.
Jeremy Greenberg, head of FEMA’s Operations Division, has resigned.
FEMA has lost 10% of staff since January and could lose up to 30% by year-end.
David Richardson was appointed as FEMA head despite no prior emergency management experience.
Richardson has postponed the release of an updated disaster response plan.
FEMA reopened training facilities and extended staff contracts in recent weeks.
Several senior emergency officials expressed concern over states’ ability to replace FEMA’s functions.