Trump Administration To Begin Winding Down FEMA After Hurricane Season

President Donald Trump announced plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following the 2025 hurricane season. Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday (June 10), Trump stated his administration's intention to shift disaster response responsibilities to individual states. "We want to wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it down to the state level," Trump said, emphasizing that governors should manage disaster recovery. If they cannot, he suggested they might not be fit for the role.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has projected an intense hurricane season, ending on November 30. Despite this, Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees FEMA, have criticized the agency as ineffective. Noem stated, "FEMA fundamentally needs to go away as it exists." She co-chairs a new FEMA Review Council, tasked with recommending significant reductions to the agency's operations.

Plans to dismantle FEMA have raised concerns among federal and state emergency managers, who doubt states can replace FEMA's infrastructure. Many states lack the budget and personnel to handle catastrophic disasters independently, even with federal financial support in severe cases.

FEMA is currently understaffed, with a projected workforce reduction from 26,000 to 18,000 by year-end. The agency has faced internal turmoil, including the appointment of David Richardson, a former marine with no disaster management experience, as its head. Communication issues between the White House and FEMA have also delayed disaster relief efforts.

Trump's long-term disaster response plans remain unclear, but discussions are underway to make qualifying for federal aid more challenging. "The FEMA thing has not been a very successful experiment," Trump remarked, advocating for state-level disaster management.