May 16 FEMA will shift more disaster recovery responsibilities to the states, acting chief says By Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Associated Press In comments that cemented the Trump administration's intent to bring about a major shift in the agency's mission, David Richardson said FEMA's intent for the 2025 “disaster season” will be to strengthen states' abilities for response and recovery while coordinating… Continue reading
Jan 25 WATCH: Trump holds press conference after touring Los Angeles wildfire damage By Will Weissert, Chris Megerian, Makiya Seminera, Associated Press In fire-ravaged California, the state’s Democratic leaders pressed Trump for federal assistance that he’s threatened to hold up, some setting aside their past differences to shower him with praise. Continue reading
Jan 24 WATCH: Trump says he's considering 'getting rid of' FEMA during briefing in North Carolina By Will Weissert, Chris Megerian, Associated Press Speaking while on the first trip of his second term, Trump made the comment in North Carolina during a briefing on the monthslong recovery from Hurricane Helene. Continue reading
Nov 09 FEMA fires employee who told workers to avoid homes with Trump signs after hurricane By Associated Press A Federal Emergency Management Agency worker has been fired after she directed workers helping hurricane survivors not to go to homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Donald Trump, the agency's leader said in a statement Saturday. Continue reading
Jan 19 Recovering from natural disasters is slow and bureaucratic. New FEMA rules aim to cut the red tape By Rebecca Santana, Associated Press Federal Emergency Management Agency head Deanne Criswell says the changes are designed to simplify and speed up the process for disaster survivors to get help. Criswell describes it as the "most comprehensive update" to FEMA's program in 20 years. Continue reading
Sep 02 Watch 6:16 Former FEMA head discusses the evolving challenges of emergency response By John Yang, Harry Zahn The Federal Emergency Management Agency has responded to a record number of billion-dollar weather-related disasters so far in 2023. And in recent years, FEMA has been called on for duties beyond extreme weather events, from COVID vaccine distribution to helping… Continue watching
May 24 Biden doubling spending to prepare for hurricanes, storms By Matthew Daly, Associated Press Last year alone, the nation endured 22 separate weather and climate-related disasters with losses greater than $1 billion each. The disasters, including wildfires, hurricanes and snowstorms, had a cumulative price tag of nearly $100 billion. Continue reading
Dec 02 Survey finds harassment, discrimination 'common' at FEMA By Ben Fox, Associated Press More than a quarter of employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency say they have been harassed or discriminated against based on their gender or race. Continue reading
Feb 13 Head of FEMA resigning, questioned over use of vehicles By Colleen Long, Associated Press The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is resigning, months after an investigation found he misused government vehicles to travel to his home in North Carolina. Continue reading
Jun 19 What federal emergency fund cuts could mean for states dealing with disasters By Sarah Breitenbach, Stateline As the country faces an increasing number of billion-dollar disasters, federal officials are considering scaling back that spending, aiming to save taxpayer money and encourage states to prepare for disasters with their own resources. Continue reading