What Would America Without FEMA Look Like?

Less than a month after Donald Trump declared he plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) it appears he's backpedaling in the wake of the Texas Floods.

Fire-affected residents meet with FEMA officials on January 14, 2025 in Pasadena, California, where a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center opened to help homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profits with their economic recovery - Getty Images

“We want to wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it down to the state level,” Trump told reporters in June, “a governor should be able to handle it, and frankly, if they can’t handle it, the aftermath, then maybe they shouldn’t be governor.” But today he switched gears.

But considering the entire budget of the Texas Division of Emergency Management is equivalent to the L.A. Fires response, relying on states to cover their own emergencies is a huge risk. And it's why we have FEMA in the first place, with a budget of over $33 billion for emergency response.

NOAA

And good thing, because in the last 19 months alone there have been 24 emergency declarations across the U.S., which generally occur prior to the emergency and have a limit of about $5 million in funds. However, there have been 127 major disaster declarations in the same amount of time, which are determined to be beyond the financial capabilities of a state or local government to cover, and include major infrastructure damage and loss of life. These include Hurricane Helene in September 2024, with a total cost of $415.9 million; Hurricane Milton in October, with a cost of $1.03 billion, and the L.A. Wildfires in January 2025, topping out at $2 billion. And with 27 "individual weather and climate disasters" with at least $1 billion in damages in 2024, the U.S. government paid out approximately $182.7 billion to cover the costs of rebuilding.

But now, thanks to the "Big Beautiful Bill" signed into law on July 4th, FEMA will start to see cuts to their most vital programs. This includes $190,568,289 from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which helps local governments and tribes mitigate future disaster losses for their communities. This includes firing 200 FEMA staff, and buying out another 20% of the workforce since February. This includes rescinding the Building Resilient Infrastructures and Communities (BRIC) Program, which had designated $3.3 billion for projects to help "mitigate heat, wildfires, flood, and other extreme weather and natural hazards." Many projects were already underway in communities across the U.S., leaving their future in jeopardy.

"The city of Scranton, PA was awaiting $2.5 million for buyouts of 21 flood-prone properties (18 homes and 3 lots) that were destroyed by flash floods on September 9, 2023... This decision is detrimental to my constituents, and I strongly urge you to reverse this decision." - Cameron Hamilton, FEMA Acting Administrator (Jan-May 2025)

This included an Executive Order titled "Council To Assess the Federal Emergency Management Agency," which expressed "serious concerns" about political bias in emergency response (i.e. "avoid(ing) homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President"), and threatening to evaluate "whether FEMA can serve its function as a support agency, providing supplemental Federal assistance, to the States rather than supplanting State control of disaster relief." A follow-up investigation showed "no evidence" that FEMA deliberately avoided helping pro-Trump homes.

This included another Presidential Executive Order titled "Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness," which followed the previous with threats of "revisions, rescissions, and replacements." And with the passing of the "Big Beautiful Bill," it looks like they’ve put their money where their mouth is.

Eaton Fire, Los Angeles County - Getty Images

But what would this country look like without federal disaster assistance in a case like the Los Angeles fires, where it covered 100% of the fire response, including on the ground, in the air, and even bringing in the military? Well, maybe a state like California could afford such a high cost on their own. Maybe not. But what about somewhere that definitely can't? During Hurricane Helene FEMA covered lodging, rental assistance, and home repair or replacement in places like Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. All of these states except Virginia have a higher poverty rate than the national average. FEMA covers debris removal, like cars on your roof or trees blocking your way to work. FEMA helps businesses, big and small, get back to work as quickly as possible, benefitting their families and the communities they serve. FEMA provides mental health resources and disaster-distress help. FEMA provides shelter, immediately and for the long-term.

So if we get rid of FEMA, or at least put on the brakes, will it work? Helene, Milton, and the fires all occurred during the Biden Administration. What's happened since?

Let's look at a state like Missouri.

"When a tornado struck Joplin on May 22, 2011, killing 161 people and causing about $2 billion in damage, President Barack Obama issued a major disaster declaration the next day." - The Missouri Independent

Missouri isn't unfamiliar with wild weather, and between 2010 and 2024 it took 16 days, on average, to approve federal disaster requests.

Residents at Clarence and Labadie Avenues assess the damage to their home after the May 16 tornado rolled through the Ville neighborhood of north St. Louis - The St. Louis American

But when a May 16th tornado cut through the City of St. Louis, "damaging or destroying 16,000 structures and killing five people," Governor Mike Kehoe made a formal request to President Trump to make a major disaster declaration. It finally came 24 days later. Kehoe made a similar request on April 2nd following severe storms and flooding. It came 49 days later.

A governor cannot declare a disaster without the President of the United States. And a citizen cannot receive assistance, shelter, food, safety, or protection, without that declaration. And while currently assistance eligibility includes non-citizen nationals or "qualified aliens" (refugees, asylum-seekers, permanent residents, etc.), this is likely subject to change with the new immigration requirements, leaving undocumented immigrants and potentially birthright citizens in the lurch post-disaster.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency was created via Executive Order by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 with the primary purpose of "coordinating the response to a disaster that has occurred in the United States and that overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities." (Wikipedia) Now Donald Trump wants to "wean" states off of FEMA, letting them take care of their own. That would mean South Carolina's $240 million disaster budget would have to cover the $621 million in agricultural losses after Hurricane Helene, on top of structural damage and personal claims.

This is not sustainable, and one more devastating loss handed to the American people in 2025, whether they voted for it or not.

Ellie is an author, editor, and owner of Red Pencil Transcripts, and works with filmmakers, podcasts, and journalists all over the world. She lives with her family just outside of New York City.