FEMA Staff Warn Trump Policies Risk Katrina-Level Disaster

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees have issued a strong warning to Congress that the Trump administration's policies are significantly weakening the agency's ability to respond to disasters, risking a catastrophe on the scale of Hurricane Katrina. In a letter known as the "Katrina Declaration," 181 current and former FEMA staffers criticized plans to shrink FEMA, shift disaster response responsibilities and costs to states, and impose new contract approval rules that delay response efforts, citing a slow reaction during the July 2025 floods in Texas as an example. The staffers also condemned the appointment of acting FEMA chiefs without emergency management experience and cuts to disaster preparedness grants, which they say undermine the agency’s mission and violate the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act. They expressed concerns that these changes could lead to the effective dissolution of FEMA and leave the American people vulnerable during major emergencies. Many staffers signed the letter anonymously, fearing retaliation, as similar dissent among EPA employees recently resulted in leave actions. The administration’s actions have been described as prioritizing cost-cutting and state empowerment over maintaining critical federal disaster response capabilities, which FEMA employees warn will ultimately harm national preparedness and response.