A former Louisiana official, who served as lieutenant governor during Hurricane Katrina, has raised alarms about the Trump administration’s potential to repeat past failures by dismantling FEMA. The official highlighted the 2005 hurricane response, which was marred by slow, disjointed efforts and led to over 1,800 lives lost. While the government has made progress in reforming FEMA since then, Trump’s policies are reversing these efforts, with FEMA staff reductions, program cuts, and bureaucratic delays posing serious risks. With hurricane season approaching, concerns grow that the agency may not be equipped to handle a major disaster, risking lives and repeating the catastrophic failures of Katrina.
The former official pointed out that FEMA’s role in disaster response is crucial, as the federal government has the necessary resources and capabilities to act when local and state agencies are overwhelmed. However, the Trump administration’s actions, such as slashing staff and reassigning employees to other departments, have weakened FEMA’s ability to respond effectively. Additionally, the administration’s proposal to eliminate FEMA entirely raises significant concerns about the agency’s future and the safety of American citizens. The former official emphasized that the scope and scale of major disasters require a strong federal partnership with state and local governments, warning that without such collaboration, the nation risks repeating the tragic failures of Hurricane Katrina.