Trump Administration to Phase Out FEMA, Raising Concerns over Disaster Recovery Aid

The Trump administration has announced plans to begin phasing out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following the 2025 hurricane season, prompting concern among disaster preparedness experts over the future of federal emergency aid.

President Donald Trump stated during a June 10 press briefing that the administration would “start phasing [FEMA] out” and alter how disaster aid is distributed. “We’re going to do it much differently,” he said, adding that aid would be given “directly” from the president’s office with “less money” provided to states.

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the restructuring efforts, indicating that FEMA would be reformed into a different agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A proposed DHS budget includes a $646 million cut to FEMA’s 2026 funding, and in April, the agency ended a key disaster mitigation grant program, returning $882 million to the Treasury.

Experts warn these moves could limit FEMA’s effectiveness. “FEMA is not going to be able to operate in the same way that it has in the past,” said Jeremy Porter of the First Street Foundation. Risk management professor Charles Nyce of Florida State University emphasized that FEMA “is not designed to be a replacement for insurance coverage.”

FEMA typically provides modest grants and low-interest loans for uninsured disaster losses. From 2010 to 2019, the average individual assistance grant was $3,522, according to the Brookings Institution.

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As the federal government shifts responsibility to states and individuals, Nyce warned that “it puts more of an onus on citizens to be prepared,” urging homeowners to review insurance coverage and emergency supplies.

Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) called the cuts “reckless” and accused DHS of dismantling the nation’s disaster response capabilities without a viable alternative.