Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins

FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump

FEMA headquarters as active hurricane season starts
The agency is 'months behind schedule in its preparations for the hurricane season'
(Image credit: Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images)

What happened

Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson left staff "baffled" Monday when he told an all-hands meeting "he had not been aware the country has a hurricane season," Reuters said. Richardson, who took over in May and has no disaster management experience, said FEMA would stick with last year's hurricane plan instead of a new plan he had promised would be finished two weeks ago.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.