Disaster Management
Disparities emerge in FEMA disaster assistance after Hurricane Helene
An analysis of FEMA housing assistance following Hurricane Helene reveals that higher-income households in North Carolina's rural counties received more aid, raising concerns about equity in disaster relief distribution.
FEMA’s staffing shortages have hindered past disaster recovery efforts, GAO says. Now the agency has even fewer workers
A watchdog report found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has had to reassign employees working on ongoing disaster recovery to respond to new disasters and deploy staffers to perform jobs they’re largely not trained to do.
Noem terminates 24 FEMA workers for failing to address cyber vulnerabilities
An internal FEMA email obtained by Nextgov/FCW ordered all agency employees to change their passwords “due to recent cybersecurity incidents and threats.”
Hurricane Katrina: 3 painful lessons for emergency management are increasingly important 20 years later
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and the looming reform of FEMA, lessons learned from the emergency management disaster remain pertinent.
Will states take on more FEMA duties? Congress, Trump council debate agency’s fate
The future of the natural disaster response agency could depend on a 12-member board crafting recommendations for President Trump.
Why FEMA is essential in disasters, and how losing independent agency status hurt its ability to function
Decades of disaster response history help explain how changes to FEMA’s structure have affected its ability to manage emergencies.
States fear critical funding from FEMA may be drying up
Many states rely on the federal government for the vast majority of their emergency management funding. Now, local leaders are looking for clues about the money — and the future of FEMA itself.
Cuts to FEMA and other agencies will lead to slow disaster response, former administrator says
“It just slows down the entire response and delays the recovery process from starting,” the previous FEMA chief said.
Trump’s plan to overhaul disaster agency once hurricane season is over prompts Democratic concerns
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already experienced staffing cuts and leadership changes ahead of an “above-normal” hurricane season.
More than 80 lawmakers from both parties urge Trump to unfreeze FEMA funding
The bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency urging support for a grant program that helps local communities strengthen their preparedness for natural disasters.
FEMA leader ousted, one day after publicly opposing agency’s elimination
Cam Hamilton, senior official performing the duties of the administrator at FEMA, was let go just one day after he testified before Congress about the size and scope of the federal agency.
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FEMA set for elimination, Noem says, amid bipartisan House reform proposal
The disaster response and recovery agency has been repeatedly criticized by President Donald Trump.
Trump order put states at the forefront of cyber and natural disaster response
The executive order signed this week is part of a wider push to put the onus on states and localities to prepare for disasters, rather than the federal government.
Trump suggests eliminating FEMA while touring disaster site
It’s unclear what actions the president could take to reorganize the agency without congressional approval.
Federal agencies respond to LA fires amid budget crunch
Federal firefighters are deploying to urban neighborhoods while some support positions are not being filled.
As Trump mulls his FEMA pick, a political land mine awaits in Florida
The president-elect's eventual nominee to lead the emergency management agency will be caught between Florida's disaster relief and FEMA's funding problems.
FEMA chief calls passing over of Trump supporters isolated incident, requests wider probe
One FEMA supervisor has been fired for directing staff to skip Trump-supporting homes, but administrator says there is so far no evidence of a more widespread issue.
Biden administration launches emergency hiring efforts to support hurricane relief efforts
Federal agencies can quickly appoint new employees, who can serve up to two years.
Why FEMA’s disaster relief gets political − especially when hurricane season and election season collide
The balance of federal, state and local government authorities and responsibilities during a natural disaster can lead to a politicization of the response efforts, and this year is no different.
'It's heartbreaking:' Federal personnel resume full hurricane response efforts after threats force a partial pause
Misinformation has caused "real-world obstacles" for FEMA responders as the agency looks to protect its workforce.
