From MSN: FEMA Aims to Rehire Most of the Disaster Response Employees It Fired Months Ago.

“The Federal Emergency Management Agency is working to rehire more than 100 disaster-response employees who had been fired months ago in time for hurricane season, according to FEMA officials.

The agency is planning to bring back most of the staffers from the Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE), FEMA’s largest workforce, who were suddenly terminated this past winter as part of then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem’s plans to cut the agency by 50 percent. These employees are among the first on the ground after a disaster and often stick around for years to help communities recover. They work under two- to four-year contracts that are usually renewed, barring any performance issues, because disaster recovery efforts can span years, if not decades.”

From the WashPost: House passes DHS funding bill that would end shutdown for most of agency.

” The U.S. House ended the bulk of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history Thursday, approving a bipartisan bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security after weeks of delay and with little fanfare.

It was a head-spinning turnaround: Just Wednesday, House Republican leaders were insisting that the Senate-passed bill had a technical problem that made it impossible for them to support it.

But President Donald Trump had been pushing lawmakers to fund the agency before the end of the week, when an emergency fund used to pay employee salaries would run dry. An assassination attempt at the White House correspondents’ dinner the weekend before had also heightened interest in ensuring Secret Service agents don’t miss a paycheck.”

From CBS News: FEMA’s disaster relief fund hits red zone ahead of hurricane season.
“Washington — With hurricane season just weeks away, FEMA has officially entered a financial danger zone — forcing the agency to limit spending to only the most urgent, life-saving needs amid the partial government shutdown.

The move, known as Imminent Needs Funding, is triggered when FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund drops below $3 billion.

And the timing couldn’t be worse.

“Disasters are unpredictable. They’re very costly. We don’t know what could happen between now and June 1,” said FEMA Associate Administrator Victoria Barton.

FEMA hasn’t stopped working outright, but the disaster agency must now sharply narrow how it spends federal disaster dollars — prioritizing immediate emergency response, direct aid to survivors and critical infrastructure protection, while delaying many reimbursements and longer-term recovery projects.”

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From Politico: Trump appointee raised alarm about FEMA’s ‘increased operational risk’

“In an internal memos earlier this year, a senior official at the agency urged immediate action to alleviate “workforce strain” and other problems.A Trump administration official warned colleagues that the Federal Emergency Management Agency faces “increased risk” due to “workforce strain” and a growing number of disasters, according to internal documents reviewed by POLITICO’s E&E News.

The series of memos — written in January and February by FEMA’s communications chief, a political appointee — appear to validate widespread concern about the ability of the nation’s disaster agency to help areas hit by storms, floods, wildfires and other disasters.

President Donald Trump has assailed FEMA since taking office last year, cutting both agency staff and programs that have given states billions of dollars to protect against natural disasters. The administration has expressed concern only recently about FEMA’s ability to function, as Trump officials blame Democrats in Congress for a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA.”

From RollingStone andGrist: Is Markwayne Mullin’s FEMA Ready for Hurricane Season?

“The new DHS chief has pledged to move on from the Kristi Noem era — but the disaster agency is still in disarray.”

From the WashPost: Former FEMA leader set to return after being ousted

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/04/16/cameron-hamilton-fema-leader/

Cameron Hamilton had publicly disagreed with previous efforts to dismantle FEMA. While those plans have shifted, the agency’s future is still unclear.

From HS today: First Major 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Forecast Predicts Slightly Below-Average Season

First Major 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Forecast Predicts Slightly Below-Average Season

“Fewer storms than usual may develop during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, researchers say, as climate patterns seem poised to favor slightly below-average activity compared with a typical year.

That prediction anchors the latest annual hurricane forecast from Colorado State University’s Tropical Cyclones, Radar, Atmospheric Modeling and Software team, which was released Thursday. The team historically provides some of the earliest insights into what to expect from an upcoming season. Another key outlook will be released next month by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Colorado State University’s team of experts estimate that 2026 will see 13 named storms develop in the Atlantic basin, including six hurricanes and two major hurricanes (defined as Category 3 or higher).”

From NPR: Communities are waiting on billions in disaster funding from the Trump administration

“Placerville is one of hundreds of communities around the country waiting on a growing backlog at FEMA. States say that under the Trump administration, disaster funding payments have slowed to a trickle, delaying crucial projects that could help communities withstand wildfires, hurricanes and floods.

In all, FEMA owes communities almost $10 billion, according to internal agency documents obtained by NPR. Much of that funding would reimburse local governments for what they’ve already spent repairing infrastructure after major disasters.

Have information you want to share about changes at FEMA? Reach out to this reporter through encrypted communications on Signal at sommer.55

Emergency managers from several states say the backlog in funding is having ripple effects through communities, stressing local budgets and delaying or potentially derailing disaster projects that have taken years to plan.”