Federal agencies crucial for hurricane preparedness and response face budget reductions, sparking concerns as hurricane season commences.

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Hurricane season is approaching, and experts are bracing themselves for more than just fierce winds - they fear the impact of drastic cuts to the agencies responsible for hurricane forecasting, tracking, and response.

Ever since President Trump took office, there have been alarming staff reductions, travel restrictions, and grant cut-offs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Susan Cutter, the director of the Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute at the University of South Carolina, paints a grim picture, "A major catastrophic storm hitting an area already reeling from Trump-era absurdity could happen in Florida, Texas, or South Carolina. People could die, and that's freakin' terrifying."

Both NOAA and FEMA representatives maintain that they're sufficiently prepared, but they can't overlook worrying statistics. Over 2,000 full-time staff members have left FEMA since Trump's presidency, eliminating roughly one-third of the agency's workforce. According to emergency management professor Samantha Montano, "We've seen a significant brain drain within FEMA, coupled with a massive exodus of employees. Many of those who left held crucial management positions."

The inexperienced as head of FEMA, a former Marine Corps officer with no apparent disaster management background, seems to raise concerns among experts.

Management of disasters requires nurtured relationships with state officials and seasoned insights into when and how to act quickly, making inexperience a potential threat. This is something former FEMA Director Craig Fugate calls to mind, echoing memories of the poorly prepared governments during the disastrous Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

FEMA canceled numerous emergency management trainings this spring, shifted others online, and restricted travel to events such as the National Hurricane Conference. Some trainings have resumed, but the question remains: Is the federal government prepared for the coming hurricane season, which runs through November?

Georgia Harbaugh, an associate administrator at FEMA, promises a "leaner, deployable disaster force," focusing on empowering state actors to provide relief to their citizens. However, for former Florida emergency management chief Bryan Koon, who now leads disaster preparedness firm IEM, the biggest issue is uncertainty. "Some states that coordinate disaster operations are experienced and will do fine, like Texas and Florida, but it's the poorer states that worry me," he says.

Meanwhile, NOAA faces its own challenges, as a series of dramatic job cuts have left the agency understaffed. Local weather offices, which play a critical role in translating national warnings into actionable advice for communities, struggle with vacancy rates exceeding 20%. Critics see this as a worrying sign of understaffing.

The National Hurricane Center, which tracks and warns of hurricanes in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Caribbean, has managed to remain staffed and ready for the season. However, as climate change fuels more severe weather events, experts question the wisdom of hollowing out essential agencies like FEMA and NOAA.

This piece was written by Seth Borenstein and Pete Angueira of the Associated Press.

Federal agencies crucial for hurricane preparedness and response face budget reductions, sparking concerns as hurricane season commences.