Trump’s Latest Cuts to Disaster Preparedness Will Make Communities More Vulnerable

Washington, D.C.  — Trump’s FEMA head has proposed cutting $1 billion of emergency management and homeland security grants that communities use to prepare for disasters. According to new reporting from CNN, these cuts will “leave state and local governments more vulnerable to catastrophic incidents,” like the recent severe flooding and wildfires that have devastated communities across the country. The proposed cuts include ending a program that helps communities plan and train for disasters – which will leave first responders and emergency management officials unprepared or undertrained. They also proposed eliminating funding to improve the public alert and warning systems for severe storms. The climate crisis is making extreme weather more frequent and more deadly, and these cuts to our disaster preparedness and response will endanger more people. 

Climate Power Senior Advisor for Climate Urgency Sarah Galvez issued the following statement: “While floods and wildfires are devastating communities across the country, Trump is proposing cuts that will make Americans less safe and less prepared for disasters. The horrific loss of life during the severe flooding in Texas underscores the critical need to have strong warning systems in place, but Trump’s FEMA head wants to eliminate funding for improving those systems. We can’t afford to have Trump and his agency heads recklessly cutting the programs that prepare first responders and protect communities during extreme weather events.”