Emergency management experts have warned that Donald Trump’s policies have eroded the United States' capacity to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. The first year of his second term saw cuts to climate science and federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), leaving the country more vulnerable to severe storms.
Deep budget cuts and mass firings shrank emergency response agencies, while the administration clawed back funding for climate-resilience initiatives and cancelled research contracts. Experts say the worst effects may emerge only when catastrophe strikes, but cracks have already appeared. In 2025, three category 5 hurricanes, record heat and humidity, and deadly fires and floods tested a weakened system.
Fema entered hurricane season without a plan, lacking strong leadership and suffering low morale. Gutted weather-balloon networks in Alaska failed to provide adequate warning before a destructive storm. In July, it took over 72 hours for federal search-and-rescue teams to be authorised after the Guadalupe River in Texas flooded, killing more than 135 people.
Despite cuts, disaster costs soared. Damage from weather and climate disasters in the first half of 2025 exceeded $101bn, the costliest first half on record since 1980, according to Dr Adam Smith, formerly of Noaa. Monica Medina, a former Noaa official, described the situation as a 'perfect storm', with escalating threats met by a crumbling safety net.
Investments under Joe Biden had aimed to improve resilience, including billions for climate projects and support for firefighters. But Trump has called for shifting disaster response to states, claiming Fema is too expensive and ineffective. Experts argue that without renewed federal commitment, the US will remain dangerously unprepared for future disasters.
