More than 180 current and former FEMA employees issued Katrina Declaration to Congress on August 25, 2025, warning Trump administration policies could cause Hurricane Katrina-scale disaster through systematic destruction of federal emergency response capacity.

Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson admitted during May 2025 staff briefing he did not know United States has annual hurricane season running June-November, shocking experienced emergency management professionals who depend on seasonal preparedness.

Richardson possesses zero disaster management experience, serving previously as Marine artillery officer and DHS weapons specialist with no training in emergency response, flood management, wildfire suppression, or hurricane preparation protocols.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem personal approval requirement for contracts over $100,000 delayed Urban Search and Rescue team deployment to July 2025 🤠Texas flooding by 72 hours while 135 people died awaiting federal assistance.

Approximately 2,000 FEMA full-time employees—one-third of permanent workforce—have left agency since Trump inauguration through hiring freezes, budget cuts, and voluntary reduction programs eliminating decades of disaster expertise.

NOAA predicts above-normal 2025 Atlantic hurricane season with up to 25 named storms while FEMA operates with skeleton crew and inexperienced leadership during peak emergency response period.

Trump administration eliminated Community Emergency Response Team funding, National Fire Academy training programs, and hazard mitigation grants that provide state and local disaster preparedness capabilities nationwide.

FEMA veterans specifically warn against dissolution of agency itself as Trump and DHS Secretary Noem advocate for elimination of federal emergency management capacity during climate crisis requiring coordinated national response.