Leaked memos show troubling shift at disaster agency just weeks before hurricane season begins: 'Kind of bizarre'

Yahoo

26-05-2025

Reuters reported in mid-May that the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency had recently made notable cuts to some emergency training just weeks before the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is generally understood to begin.
Leaked internal memos seem to indicate that FEMA is shifting many in-person training sessions online and reviewing staff engagements for approval. Local emergency managers who rely on hands-on disaster planning have said such changes raise concerns.
FEMA has cut back face-to-face training as part of a move toward decentralizing disaster response. Workshops that typically covered community response plans, hurricane forecasting models, and evacuation routes are now set to be conducted virtually.
Additionally, FEMA has restricted staff travel since February unless it's for "disaster deployment and other limited purposes." And since March, staff speaking engagements and any related materials have required a rubber stamp from the Office of External Affairs and the Office of Chief Counsel, according to Reuters.
John Wilson, chairperson of the National Hurricane Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, told the outlet, "It was kind of bizarre to have a National Hurricane Conference without the National Hurricane Center director opening it up."
Reuters also reported that about 2,000 FEMA staff have resigned since the start of the Trump administration this January, leading to what some have called a "brain drain" at the agency.
With limited face-to-face training, emergency personnel may be less prepared for what's expected to be a busy Atlantic hurricane season — a time that typically lasts from June through November.
Reuters noted that predictions for 2025 include 17 named storms, nine of which are expected to become hurricanes. The National Weather Service has also faced federal funding cuts, potentially complicating accurate storm forecasting.
North Carolina emergency manager Steve Still told Reuters that while virtual instruction has its merits, it can be less effective than in-person learning. Given that the 2024 hurricane season was one of the deadliest and most expensive on record, any perceived loss of effectiveness this year might understandably prompt serious worries.
In a separate issue, the Associated Press reported in early March that FEMA had canceled in-person classes at the National Fire Academy in Maryland. Though it's possible the NFA cancelations are only temporary, experts' reactions to the shuttering might offer a window onto the value of such training more generally.
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Former Maryland fire chief Marc Bashoor told the AP, "It is the one avenue we have to bring people from all over the country to learn from and with each other."
Despite federal cutbacks, some states are stepping in. To fill the gap, Reuters reported, the hurricane-vulnerable states of North Carolina and Louisiana are still planning to host onsite training sessions led by FEMA-certified staff.
Meanwhile, legislation proposed in Florida seeks to boost readiness through localized training and post-storm coordination. And the American Red Cross continues to offer its own, if limited, in-person classes across the country.
Local leaders and mutual aid organizations always encourage residents to keep hurricane survival kits ready and up to date and to learn safe evacuation routes. Knowing what not to do in a hurricane and collaborating with neighbors in advance can help to build community resilience in the face of critical climate issues and more extreme weather.
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