"A leaked report recommends halving the size of the nation’s disaster response agency, while holding states responsible for a much larger share of response and recovery costs."
"Flood, storm and fire survivors gathered in Washington, D.C., Monday to express their alarm over a leaked report from the FEMA Review Council that proposes halving the agency’s workforce and scaling back federal disaster assistance.
Holding images of the devastation wrought by disasters in their communities, more than 80 survivors from 10 states and Puerto Rico gathered at a press conference in the historic Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.
There, Brandy Gerstner tearfully recounted the flash floods that destroyed her home and family farm in Sandy Creek, Texas, in July. With little help from the county or state, Gerstner said she and her family were left to navigate the flood’s aftermath on their own. “From the very beginning, it was neighbors and volunteers who showed up. Official help was scarce,” she said.
It took search and rescue three days to arrive in Sandy Creek. “By that time, it was search and recovery,” said Gerstner.”"
Anika Jane Beamer reports for Inside Climate News December 15, 2025.
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