President Donald Trump said this week that his administration will begin winding down the Federal Emergency Management Agency once the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season ends, part of a broader push to shift primary responsibility for disaster response to state governments. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he wants to “wean” states off federal assistance, distribute any remaining disaster relief directly from the president’s office and ultimately provide “less money” than Washington currently allocates through FEMA.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees FEMA, backed the plan, saying the agency would be dismantled “as it exists today.” Under the proposal, governors would assume greater control over relief operations and funding requests, while federal involvement would be limited to major catastrophes still to be defined by the administration.
Separately, Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing Interior and Agriculture officials to merge their wildfire-response programs into a single national force, a move the White House says will streamline prevention and firefighting efforts. Former officials have warned the consolidation could prove costly and disrupt existing coordination during what is expected to be another severe wildfire season.
State and local leaders reacted sharply. Lawmakers from both parties noted that Florida, Louisiana and Texas—three of the most hurricane-prone states—receive the largest shares of FEMA aid and could struggle to cover rebuilding costs on their own. Representative Ro Khanna pointed to 27 weather and climate disasters last year that each caused at least $1 billion in damage as evidence that shrinking federal support would leave vulnerable communities without adequate resources.
The administration has not released draft legislation or a detailed funding formula, but officials indicated they intend to outline next steps after the current hurricane season concludes. Until then, FEMA will continue normal operations, while states, emergency-management groups and insurers assess how a reduced federal role could reshape U.S. disaster preparedness and recovery.
President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered government officials to consolidate wildland firefighting into a single program, despite warnings from former federal officials that it could be costly and increase the risk of catastrophic blazes.
