Former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell warns against President Trump's plan to eliminate FEMA post-2025 hurricane season, arguing it would severely undermine disaster preparedness across the U.S. Criswell emphasizes FEMA's critical role in disaster response, preparedness funding, and support for local governments. She cites the agency's mission of aiding communities before, during, and after disasters, asserting that its dismantling would impair essential services like the Urban Search and Rescue teams and the National Flood Insurance Program, leaving the nation vulnerable to catastrophic events.
"It's important to remember the mission statement of FEMA-to help people before, during, and after disasters," she said. While state and local emergency managers already carry significant responsibility, they rely heavily on FEMA funding to maintain preparedness.
"Many of those small emergency management departments depend on those grants to help maintain their staffing." Eliminating FEMA, she argued, would not only gut recovery operations but also eliminate resources essential to preparedness and mitigation.
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