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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Gabrielle Canon

‘Closing the chapter’ on Fema: Trump panel seeks to weaken disaster response amid climate crisis

Two Fema rescue workers in hard hats and a search dog examine flood debris and overturned trailers.
Members of Fema urban search and rescue taskforce search a flood damaged area in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina, in 2024. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Sweeping changes may be in store at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), the nation’s frontline emergency response coordinator, that experts warned could further erode US capacity to handle disasters as the risks of extreme weather fueled by the climate crisis continue to rise.

Fears about a fundamental overhaul of Fema’s form and function have been brewing since Donald Trump returned to the White House. After castigating the agency over claims that it was too expensive and “doesn’t get the job done”, Trump set to gutting Fema as an early priority for his second term.

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