The Unraveling of FEMA

Storm-wrecked house, coastal Oregon. Photo: Jeffrey St. Clair.

If you’re just joining us, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had a bad 2025. The year started with staffing cuts and the appointment of a council to determine whether the agency — which handles the federal response to disasters and funds disaster recovery and prevention projects — should continue to exist in its current form.  The administration even dismantled a popular grant program that funded disaster mitigation projects.