LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told state officials on Tuesday, Oct. 20, that they must build up their own money and emergency resources to handle most disasters without federal help. FEMA plans to start cutting disaster aid in as few as six months, according to remarks obtained by POLITICO.
FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton spoke at a conference of state officials in Little Rock, Arkansas. POLITICO obtained a recording of the private speech, and its report says it gave the most detail yet about the administration’s long-planned shift of disaster costs to the states.
What Hamilton said
- “Every state must have the appropriate financial reserves” and other abilities so recovery can start right away and not wait for a federal disaster declaration.
- He hopes for a future where the government would not need to declare as many disasters because state capabilities are “so high and so substantial.”
- States that do not seek federal aid may start cleanup and repairs “much faster,” because they would not have to file a detailed application and wait weeks or months for a decision.
- FEMA will focus more on “reducing risk and building capacity across the nation” so disasters do less damage.
An internal FEMA memo from Oct. 15, also reported by POLITICO, said the agency will “strengthen state and local capacity.” The administration says it wants to build a “national mutual aid” system, in which states help one another recover from storms and floods.
How we got here
President Donald Trump threatened early in his current term to abolish FEMA and has since called for states to take on more of the cost of disasters. In 2025, he signed an order pushing states to take more responsibility for disaster preparedness. Many states said they could not replace what FEMA does, such as bringing in resources from multiple federal agencies, running flood insurance, assessing damage and distributing billions of dollars in recovery funds.
Why it matters
Disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and wildfires can cost far more than a state’s emergency budget. Some states have small emergency management offices and limited reserves. If federal aid shrinks, state governments would carry more of the bill, and recovery could look different from one state to the next.
The shift comes as communities in the West deal with wildfires. See our report on the Norte Fire in Orange County.
What’s next
The reports reviewed do not say which programs would be cut first or how large the reductions would be. Further details are expected as FEMA works with states over the coming months. This story will be updated as the agency releases more information.
