Editor, Gazette-Journal:
As extreme weather becomes increasingly damaging and costly, the Trump administration is shifting the burden of disaster response from the federal government to the states. Months after Hurricane Helene, North Carolina, is still trying to recover.
Four days into his second term, Trump visited the region and promised to help with rebuilding. But on April 1, the travel team to going survey residents about their recovery needs was fired. The administration also denied Arkansas’ request for federal aid in response to an outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes that left more than 40 people dead.
Both Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have made it clear they want to eliminate FEMA, which helps people find temporary housing and provides public assistance after natural disasters. FEMA has lost over 2,000 full-time employees since the beginning of 2025, which is about one-third of its permanent workforce. Additionally, significant funding cuts have impac...