Revelations of FEMA being ill-prepared ahead of Hurricane season come as the agency has seen a 30% reduction in its workforce due to DOGE layoffs and buyouts. Since last year, President Donald Trump has talked about moving the responsibility of responding to natural disasters to the states.
The internal review was called on by new acting Administrator David Richardson, and it reveals the agency has seen the “quality of people lost cannot be replaced right away,” with most hurricane preparations being “derailed this year due to other activities like staffing and contracts,” according to slides obtained by the Hill.
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“As FEMA transforms to a smaller footprint, the intent for this hurricane season is not well understood,” the document states. “Thus FEMA is not ready.”
Just last week, Trump fired the former FEMA administrator, Cameron Hamilton, who told Congress that the agency should not be eliminated.
