Disaster Recovery

2025 February

2025-02-21 FEMA began layoffs, grant freezes, and reductions in disaster funding. Central Texas later struggled to secure flood-response assistance.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/climate/fema-missed-calls-texas-floods.html

https://kennedy.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2290#:~:text=Compounding%20these%20deliberate%20staffing%20cuts,in%20times%20of%20dire%20need.

https://blog.ucs.org/shana-udvardy/the-terrible-texas-flood-tragedy-made-worse-by-trump-administrations-dysfunctional-fema-response/#:~:text=DHS%20Secretary%20Kristi%20Noem%20did,the%20cancellation%20of%20the%20contractors.

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/08/07/fema-failed-to-staff-disaster-hotline-after-texas-floods/#:~:text=At%20least%20one%20Texas%20official,respond%20to%20questions%20from%20NPR.

https://stateline.org/2025/07/15/federal-disaster-aid-is-uncertain-for-states-even-as-texas-floods-underscore-need/#:~:text=Aside%20from%20the%20cuts%20to%20state%20funding%2C,staff%2C%20according%20to%20The%20New%20York%20Times.

https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/impacts-of-recent-federal-and-state-actions-on-natural-disaster-preparedness-and-response-on-health/#:~:text=In%20April%202025%2C%20FEMA%20suspended,coordinate%20disaster%20response%20and%20recovery.

2025 April

2025-04-01 Funding was cut for the BRIC disaster-preparedness program, which helped communities prepare for climate-related disasters.

https://www.floods.org/news-views/fema-news/fema-ends-bric-program-leaving-states-in-the-lurch/

https://www.naco.org/news/federal-judge-temporarily-halts-bric-grant-program-termination

https://oag.maryland.gov/News/Pages/Attorney-General-Brown-Secures-Court-Victory-Preventing-Trump-Administration-from-Unlawfully-Cutting-Billions-in-Disaster-P.aspx

2025-04-25 AmeriCorps lost $400 million in funding, affecting 32,000 participants and programs related to disaster recovery, education, environmental stewardship, and public health. Trump rescinded Executive Order 14143 Providing for the Appointment of Alumni of AmeriCorps to the Competitive Service.

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/09/nx-s1-5383188/trumps-gutting-of-americorps-hits-hard-for-both-volunteers-and-communities