Read, Watch or Listen

Hurricane Katrina exposed FEMA's failures, leading to reforms like requiring emergency management expertise for its leader, faster response times, and pre-disaster community preparedness. However, the Trump administration reversed some of these changes, cutting funding for disaster preparedness programs and potentially eliminating FEMA. This has caused concern among former and current FEMA employees who warn of reduced disaster response capabilities. The administration argues that these changes reform inefficient federal spending and increase state responsibility. Experts disagree, fearing a return to pre-Katrina levels of unpreparedness.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.