Trump wants states to handle disasters. States aren't prepared [View all]
Source: NPR
March 21, 2025 4:08 PM ET
President Trump has signed an executive order directing state and local governments to "play a more active and significant role" in preparing for disasters. For months, Trump has said he's considering getting rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the country's disaster response arm. "I say you don't need FEMA, you need a good state government," Trump said while visiting the Los Angeles fires in January. "FEMA is a very expensive, in my opinion, mostly failed situation."
But emergency management experts say Trump's order technically wouldn't do much to shift responsibility. Currently, local and state governments are already in charge of disasters. The question is whether the Trump administration will begin withdrawing the federal resources and funding that states rely on.
When a major hurricane, flood or wildfire hits, FEMA starts working on a disaster only when requested by the state government. The agency organizes thousands of federal workers who help in disaster response and process claims for millions of dollars in aid. Even then, states and local governments still remain in charge.
Without FEMA, states would need to find thousands of additional personnel to inspect damage, distribute disaster aid and plan the rebuilding of public infrastructure. Without federal funding, states would face billions of dollars in recovery costs. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, Florida relied on more than $5.5 billion dollars from the federal government.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/nx-s1-5327595/trump-order-fema-states-disaster-response
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