A number of changes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ahead of the hurricane season, which begins this year on June 1, could leave the agency, and consequently US citizens, vulnerable.
This includes staffing cuts, the loss of expertise, reduction in external partnerships, and the erosion of essential practices, as well as the cessation of programmes that assist at-risk communities.
200 FEMA employees were cut in February, whilst subsequent federal-wide layoffs have crippled other agencies.
Many of the agency’s staff are on temporary contracts, so further cuts would not be unexpected.
Previous president Donald Trump encouraged misinformation around the agency’s response to Hurricane Helene, putting it under scrutiny.
The Trump administration has recommended severe cuts to the agency, and the current administration has encouraged a shift of disaster management responsibility to the state level.
States are currently struggling to fund even basic emergency management needs due to a freeze in FEMA funding.
Internal FEMA memos have encouraged employees to avoid using tools that take into account social inequalities when preparing for potential emergencies.
