Handle Your Own Disasters, FEMA Tells States

The top federal disaster official told states to bolster their financial reserves and emergency response capabilities so they can handle most disasters themselves without federal assistance, Politico reported.

During a recent conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Cameron Hamilton offered unprecedented detail about the administration’s long-planned shift of disaster responsibilities to states, POLITICO said.

“Every state must have the appropriate financial reserves” and other abilities “to ensure that recovery efforts can start immediately and not necessarily be held up simply because of the federal [disaster] declaration process,” Hamilton said, according to a recording obtained by POLITICO.

“A future that I hope we would shoot for is one where we wouldn’t require as many disasters because the capability of states is so high and so substantial,” Hamilton added. He meant presidential authorizations of federal disaster aid.

Empowering Communities in Disasters

FEMA said in a statement to POLITICO that the agency’s “primary focus is on empowering communities to lead and execute disaster response and recovery.”

“FEMA is not a first responder,” an agency spokesperson told the news website, “but rather a force multiplier supporting states, tribes and local governments to ensure rapid and effective recovery when warranted and where needed.”

POLITICO noted that Hamilton’s remarks at the National Emergency Management Association’s annual conference add detail to his Oct. 15 internal memo, which said FEMA will “strengthen state and local capacity.”

The agency will face substantial challenges — both logistically and politically — preparing states to take a lead role in disaster prevention and recovery, according to POLITICO.

A recent FEMA report found that state disaster agencies “are typically understaffed and underfunded” and that many agencies are heavily dependent on federal funding.

“There are many states with [minuscule] emergency management offices and budgets. There are states with slim rainy-day funds and no capacity to make up for a lack of federal disaster recovery funds — without RAISING TAXES!” Eric Holdeman, a longtime emergency management official, wrote on LinkedIn in response to Hamilton’s memo.

National Mutual Aid

“Reducing the number of federal disaster declarations will be difficult, and its implementation will be impossible! All Presidents, not just the one we have today, will ignore such a policy when it becomes politically expedient to do so,” added Holdeman, a former emergency management director in King County, Washington, which includes Seattle.

The Trump administration said it intends to launch “national mutual aid,” whereby states help each other recover from damaging storms, floods, wildfires and other events, Hamilton told state emergency management leaders.

“You will also see us asking for greater alleviation and waiving of federal environmental and historical preservation requirements — things that add layers of bureaucracy,” Hamilton said, referring to reviews of FEMA-funded rebuilding projects.

President Donald Trump threatened to abolish FEMA early in his current term and has since called for states to take more financial responsibility, POLITICO noted.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has not publicly announced any changes and has continued to approve disaster aid for weather-related events.

Hamilton said at the conference that changes could begin “in the next six months.”

Could Speed Cleanups

Hamilton said states that avoid federal aid might begin disaster recovery more quickly. States could start disaster cleanup and repairs “much faster” if they don’t have to submit a detailed aid application to FEMA and await a decision, which can take weeks or months.

“Sometimes what we find is a potential slowing down of the [recovery] process to ensure that a declaration comes through,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said FEMA will focus on “reducing risk and building capacity across the nation” so that disasters cause less damage and states are better-equipped.

“Federal dollars should be building greater capability, not creating greater dependency,” Hamilton added.

State and federal officials reacted with concern.

For example, U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) released a statement Wednesday in response to Hamilton’s remarks:  

“President Trump’s efforts to dismantle FEMA and limit the federal government’s disaster response will put countless Americans in danger and destroy state and local economies. The Trump Administration has little concern or understanding of the limited capacity of state governments to respond in the wake of a disaster. State and municipal governments do herculean work after a disaster hits, but many communities simply do not have the capacity or budget to rebuild and repair. The federal government must help states weather the storm.”

Appeals Process

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Division of Emergency Management are reviewing the decision and the appeals process, according to a statement from the governor’s office.

FEMA helps homeowners recover from disasters such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and severe storms by providing financial assistance, temporary housing support, and connections to other recovery resources.

Its assistance is generally intended to help make a home safe, sanitary, and functional again, but not to restore every property to its pre-disaster condition or cover every loss.

Assistance usually depends on the type of disaster, the damage, the homeowner’s circumstances, and whether federal disaster assistance has been authorized.