Trump set to reform FEMA: more power to states, complete overhaul of disaster prevention

Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order that will completely overhaul the operation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In effect, the president plans to give much more power to states and local jurisdictions, to the detriment of the federal government. In turn, he is preparing a complete overhaul of all policies related to disaster preparedness and response.

FEMA, an agency part of the Department of Homeland Security and dedicated to natural disaster prevention and response, was harshly criticized by the now President Trump during the 2024 campaign. Indeed, just days after returning to the White House, he told Sean Hannity that FEMA had not done its job "for the last four years."

The Republican was referring to the Biden administration's response in the face of Hurricane Helene, which hit North Carolina, leaving countless destruction and more than 100 dead in its path.

The new FEMA under the Trump Administration

Trump is therefore set to take power away from the federal government and leave it to the states to lead prevention and response. The executive order was obtained by Fox Digital, from which they explained that "it emphasizes the role of states, localities and individual leadership over federal leadership while preparing for and coping with disasters—such as flooding or fires."

At the same time, they specified that the White House's intention is to empower local communities to work quickly with Washington DC.

"This Order restores state, local, and individual empowerment in disaster preparedness and response, and injects common sense into infrastructure prioritization and strategic investments through risk-informed decisions that make our infrastructure, communities, and economy more resilient to global and dynamic threats and hazards," they added from the aforementioned media outlet.

The order will establish the National Resilience Strategy, which will define the "priorities, means and ways to advance the nation's resilience," while outlining risks to key infrastructure and related systems.

In effect, officials will be required to review "all infrastructure, continuity, and preparedness and response policies" with the goal of aligning them with the National Resilience Strategy.

"The order will shift the federal government's 'all-hazards' approach to dealing with disasters to a 'risk-based approach,' which will prioritize 'resilience and action over mere information sharing,'" they continued from Fox Digital.