The Storm Is Coming. FEMA Isn’t.

By Olivia Troye - Posted at Olivia Of Troye Unfiltered: 

"I know what that looks like on the ground. During my time in government, I strongly encouraged the people who worked for me to deploy with FEMA whenever they had the chance. I spent several months in Louisiana working on the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort in 2005, and it remains one of the most rewarding and heartbreaking experiences of my career. There's nothing like standing in the aftermath of a disaster, working side by side with communities struggling to rebuild. It gives you perspective. It reminds you that this work is about more than policy; it's about people. It's about showing up and helping your fellow Americans when they need it most."

I’ve worked firsthand with FEMA during some of the most devastating natural disasters to hit our country. I’ve sat in Homeland Security briefings when lives were on the line, when every hour mattered, and when we relied on every ounce of preparation and foresight the federal government could offer. What’s happening now, the systematic erosion of our nation’s disaster preparedness infrastructure, is not just bureaucratic negligence. It’s a slow-moving domestic threat with real-world consequences.

The federal government's capacity to respond to disasters has always been a lifeline for millions of Americans, especially those in vulnerable, underserved, and often forgotten communities. But in Donald Trump's second term, FEMA is being gutted, NOAA is being hollowed out, and hurricane season will soon be barreling toward us. The warning signs couldn't be more obvious or more alarming.

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