President Trump has signed an executive order directing state and local governments to “play a more active and significant role” in preparing for disasters. For months, Trump has said he’s considering getting rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the country’s disaster response arm.
“I say you don’t need FEMA, you need a good state government,” Trump said while visiting the Los Angeles fires in January. “FEMA is a very expensive, in my opinion, mostly failed situation.”
But emergency management experts say Trump’s order technically wouldn’t do much to shift responsibility. Currently, local and state governments are already in charge of disasters. The question is whether the Trump administration will begin withdrawing the federal resources and funding that states rely on.
Two weeks later, the tornado outbreak and floods of April 2–7 occurred:
From April 2–7, 2025, a slow-moving weather system and a stationary front caused both a widespread and devastating tornado outbreak and historic, life-threatening flash flooding across much of the Southern and Midwestern United States.
March 21, 2025:
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/nx-s1-5327595/trump-order-fema-states-disaster-response
Two weeks later, the tornado outbreak and floods of April 2–7 occurred:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_outbreak_and_floods_of_April_2–7,_2025
Most states hit voted for Trump.