Overview
- President Trump announced he will begin winding down FEMA after the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season concludes on November 30.
- The White House plans to slash FEMA’s budget and distribute disaster relief funds directly from the president’s office instead of through the agency.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem supports dismantling FEMA’s current structure and is forging mutual aid pacts among states.
- FEMA’s workforce has shrunk by about 2,000 employees since January, and internal reviews flag the agency as underprepared for this season’s heightened hurricane forecasts.
- Experts warn that most states lack the fiscal resources and infrastructure to manage disaster relief independently, and they note that abolishing FEMA would require Congress to amend the Stafford Act.