FEMA is not ready for a disaster season, workers say

Less than two months before the official start of the hurricane season, the country’s main disaster agency faces an uncertain future. Employees working at the Federal Emergency Management Agency say that rapid erosion of instruments, external partnerships and practices – as well as the coming threat of staff abbreviations and the eviction of senior staff – is bad news for the country as it is directed to the summer, even if the agency reaches the season. FEMA employees who spoke to Wired were anonymous as they were not allowed to talk to the press.

The agency has not yet seen “huge soft changes, but it doesn’t take much to fully fuck a (disaster) answer,” says an employee. “We are created for a really bad situation.”

FEMA was established in 1979 as an independent agency by an enforcement order signed by President Jimmy Carter; After September 11, he was moved to the Ministry of Interior Security. In recent years, expensive disasters such as hurricanes Ian, Ida and Helen, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, have caused that of the agency JumpingS

The agency has long been a favorite goal of Conspiracy theoristsS But last year, after Hurricane Helen torn through parts of North Carolina, Donald Trump, encouraged by the right influences, Amplified misinformation Around the storm agency’s reaction, placing a political bull on FEMA, leading in his second presidency.

During his first week of service, Trump signed Enforcement order Creation of an examination of past disasters managed by FEMA and an assessment of its current ability to respond to events, with the order criticizing the “efficiency, priorities and competence of the agency”. At the end of March, Interior Security Minister Christy Nov said publicly at a cabinet meeting that DHS would “remove FEMA”. A day later, according to reporting by Politico and The Washington Post, NOEM set out a plan to reduce the agency to an immediate disaster response By October And move it under the scope of the White House.

“Unlike the unprepared, shameful and inadequate response to natural disasters such as hurricane Helen, the Trump administration is committed to ensuring that Americans carried out (SIC) through emergencies.” All operational and readiness requirements will continue to be operated without interruption in narrowing and state employees Situations are best when guided by local and state authorities. “

Exactly who is on the Review Council appointed by the White House – by Noim and the Minister of Defense Pete Heget, cockers appointed by the executive order – a mystery of mystery; some Legislators claim To be eavesdropped, but no public list of official members has been published. While the executive order in January requires the Council to meet until April 24, the only action of the Council so far seems to be a request for public comment “To gain an understanding of (public) experience with FEMA during disasters.” At the meeting at the end of March, CNN reported that NOEM and other employees discussed the possibility of annulment of the enforcement order, which created the Council completely. (Wired asked FEMA for a list of council members and updates on when they plan to meet; the agency does not provide these details.)