Less than two months before the official start of the hurricane season, the main agency in the country response to the disaster is in the face of an uncertain future. Employees working at the Federal Crisis Management Agency say you that speedy erosion of tools, external partnerships and practices – as well as the upcoming threat of staff cuts and exodus of older staff – is a bad news for a country that is going in summer, even if the agency reaches the season a bit unparthed. FEMA employees who talked to Wired received anonymity because they could not talk to the press.
The agency has not seen “huge sweeping changes, but it does not take much to screw up completely [disaster] The answer, “says one employee.” We are prepared for a really bad situation. “
FEMA was founded in 1979 as an independent agency by an executive order signed by President Jimmy Carter; After September 11, he was moved as part of the Internal Security Department. In recent years, steep disasters such as Hurricanes Ian, Ida and Helene, as well as the Covid-19 pandemia, caused the agency Expenses for a sharp growth.
The agency has long been a favorite goal Conspiracy theorists. But last year, after a hurricane, Helene broke through the parts of North Carolina, Donald Trump, encouraged by right -wing influential strengthened disinformation Around the agency’s response to a storm, placing a political bulsee to FEMA, leading to his second presidency.
During his first week of office, Trump signed executive order Establishment of a council in order to review previous disasters managed by FEM and assess its current ability to respond to events, with an order criticizing “Effectiveness, Priorities and competences of the Agency.” At the end of March, the Secretary of Internal Security Kristi Noem publicly said at the meeting of the office that DHS would “eliminate FEMA”. A day later, according to reports from Politico And Washington Post, Noem has developed a plan for limiting the agency to an immediate response to a disaster until October And move him under the sight of the White House.
“In contrast to the unprepared, shameful and inadequate reaction of the previous administration to natural disasters, such as Hurricane Helene, Trump’s administration is involved in the assurance of Americans [sic] In situations of crisis situations, he will receive help in which they need in a quick and efficient way, “said Geoff Harbaugh, deputy administrator of the Office of External Affairs, said Wired Wi -Mail.
Exactly who is in the review of the review appointed by the White House – other than Noem and secretary of defense Pete HegeSth, Chairs appointed by the executive order – he realizes the mystery; Some Legislators claim Be used for service, but no public list of official members has been published. Although the January executive decision requires the meeting to meet until April 24, the only action of the Council seems to be a request for public commentary “To get an understanding [the public’s] Experience with FEMA during the disaster. “At the meeting at the end of March, CNN Reported that Noem and other officials discussed the possibility of dismissing the executive order, which completely established the advice. (Wired asked FEMA for a list of council members and updates when they plan to meet; the agency did not provide these details).