FEMA Shifts Disaster Burden to States in Wake of Deadly Tornadoes

As the U.S. South reels from a scourge of deadly tornadoes and braces for hurricane season, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says it is shifting recovery responsibility to the states. During a staff town hall on Thursday, May 15, acting chief David Richardson said he will “return primacy to the states” in accordance with the Trump administration’s plan to shift the agency’s mission, Associated Press (AP) reports. This means states impacted by natural disasters will only receive federal assistance “when deemed necessary,” Richardson said. The move could drastically shrink the amount of aid states can get from FEMA. Richardson warned that traditional FEMA cost-sharing, which covers 75% of disaster recovery expenses, could change by this summer, according to AP. Jeremy Edwards, FEMA deputy director of public affairs during the Biden administration, told AP that while states typically lead disaster response, they rely on federal resources as needed, and not every state wil ... Read full article.