The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s acting chief plans to shift responsibility for disaster recovery to states during the upcoming hurricane season, he said during a staff town hall on Thursday.
David Richardson said his intention was to 鈥渞eturn primacy to the states鈥 as part of an agencywide transformation.
In comments that cemented the Trump administration’s intent to bring about a major shift in the agency’s mission, Richardson said FEMA’s intent for the 2025 鈥渄isaster season鈥 will be to strengthen states’ abilities for response and recovery while coordinating federal assistance 鈥渨hen deemed necessary.鈥
The comments dovetail with a broad-based effort by the Trump administration to overhaul and downsize the federal government. They come just 17 days before the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, which scientists and four major hurricanes. Richardson said FEMA was 鈥渢o some degree, to a great degree, ready for disaster season 鈥25,鈥 and that he would be submitting a plan for the season to Noem by next Friday.
The agency is in a period of upheaval as the Trump administration weighs its future. President Donald Trump has floated 鈥済etting rid of鈥 FEMA altogether, an idea Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has echoed. Richardson replaced former acting chief Cameron Hamilton last week, one day after Hamilton told a congressional committee that he did not think FEMA should be eliminated.
While Richardson downplayed the likelihood that FEMA would disappear altogether, he said his role was to realize Trump’s vision of how disasters are managed, which he said means pushing a 鈥渓arge part鈥 of response and recovery to the states.
Some states, including Florida and Texas, are already adequately prepared for disasters, according to the acting chief. Others should prepare to shoulder more of the financial burden, he said, warning that the typical federal 75% cost share for things like repairing public infrastructure could change as soon as this summer.
鈥淭here should be some budgeting things that they have,鈥 said Richardson. 鈥淚 bet (Texas) Governor Abbott has a rainy-day fund for fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and he doesn’t spend it on something else.鈥
FEMA assistance is made available to states a major disaster declaration. Those decisions are typically based on whether the event’s impact exceeds the state’s capacity to respond.
Trump has already signaled a departure from typical decision-making around disaster declarations. He has and West Virginia. Just this week, he approved a major disaster declaration for storms that struck Arkansas in March after initially denying the request.
The shift comes as the number of climate disasters in the United States grows: There were 90 major disaster declarations in 2024, and 27 climate-related events that caused in damages.
While states typically lead disaster response, they rely on federal resources as needed, said Jeremy Edwards, FEMA deputy director of public affairs during the Biden Administration, and not every state will be able to take on more of that responsibility.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unclear what they mean when they say returning primacy to the states,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hat does that mean when certain states don鈥檛 have the resources in their own budgets to respond to and recover from catastrophic events?鈥
Regarding long-term restructuring, Richardson said FEMA will begin a 鈥渕ission analysis鈥 to ensure its activities are strictly limited to what it is legally mandated to do.
鈥淲e will not do anything that is not in the statute,鈥 he said. 鈥淚f we are, we are wasting the American people鈥檚 money.鈥
Trump has also established a 13-member FEMA review council, chaired by Secretary Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to recommend changes to the agency.
When asked if the reforms would result in further staff reductions, Richardson said it was possible as more of the agency’s functions transfer to states. About 2,000 full-time staff have left the agency since President Donald Trump took office in January, a loss of roughly one-third of the agency鈥檚 full-time workforce.
He also said that while no programs were specific 鈥渢argets鈥 for elimination, much depended on the results of the analysis.
鈥淚f you’re outside of the statutory, you’ll become a target, period,鈥 he said.
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Anguueira reported from San Diego.
