Volunteers with the non -profit human team are used to filling the gaps from recovery from disasters – they fell on lentils after forest fires, running the houses flooded by water, and rebuilding the roofs exploded by hurricanes.
But with anxiety and confusion about how the federal government responds to disasters this summer, the group is preparing to help in ways that they had not before.
“The only thing is the hurricane season, this is the uncertainty in the federal level,” said Jeff Bayard, the first deputy operational of the operations.
Mr. Byard and his team assess how they can help other societies if the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees the federal response to disasters, reduces their ability or is often published.
President Donald Trump said on June 10 that he intends to start “gradually eliminating” the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the hurricane season and that the states will get less federal assistance to respond to natural disasters. Mr. Trump also said he intends to distribute disaster relief funds directly from the President’s office, Reuters said.
Mr. Bayard said that the Rubicon team is good in being graceful, but non -profit organizations and financiers have already been subjected to pressure from more frequent and severe climate events. “It will be more difficult to make a difficult situation,” he said.
Experts fear that Mr. Trump may agree to fewer main disasters ads, which open funding and federal resources, and the FEMA response can be slowed or reduced. The exercises have been reduced, and about 2000 employees have been left or dismissed since January, including high -level employees.
“Whether it is a hurricane or an earthquake, the federal government is not prepared in the way it was in the past,” said Michael Queen, who held positions at Fema under three presidential departments.
The hurricane season in the United States officially started on June 1 and will continue until November. The National Oceanic and Calf Administration expected last month that this year’s season will be higher than normal with up to 10 hurricanes, Reuters said.
Non -profit organizations and financiers across the United States say that there is a lot at stake for communities to wait only and know what is happening. “From a non -profit perspective, we have to really tend,” Marcus Coleman, Vice President of Community Flexibility Strategy, told UNILDWIDE.
Fema is fully activated in preparation for the season of hurricanes, “and it” transforms from a dead weight focusing on DC to a disaster that can be published that enables the actors in the state, “according to an intermediary spokesman, which feeds on the agency.
How to feel the pieces of Fema
Disaster relief leaders will make the absence of FEMA will make it difficult to coordinate resources throughout the federal government, establish effective communications, and spread emergency supplies. “Fema is a major partner, we need them,” said David Guadalobi, head of the active national voluntary organizations in a disaster.
They are concerned that sudden political changes may leave many states that are not ready and lack of resources, which increases the need for donations and volunteers.
“The worst scenario is that this money is withdrawn and we must fill these gaps,” said Anne Lee, CEO of the Relief Organization.
They say, it will be particularly difficult to replace services as part of the FEMA individual aid program, such as housing and temporary grants to repair or replace damaged homes and vehicles.
For direct aid alone, FEMA has approved more than $ 460 million for 160,000 families in North Carolina since Hurricane Helen, and more than $ 136 million for 34,500 families after Los Angeles fires.
“Although non -profit organizations are often faster and more efficient in getting people’s help, they still need money to make this. He said: “The private sector can never take it.”
Fema also funds disaster managers, who help survivors to move in paperwork, and support legal and mental health. Mr. Bayard said that providing these services “will require a more powerful volunteer organization.”
Other needs can include support for smaller and less experienced emergency management departments, data collection about survivors’ needs, or transfer of debris if federal dollars do not pay for capture.
Mr. Coleman said that even when FEMA is available, it may seem different from recent years. It indicates that the agency has already canceled the door classification program to the door that helped the survivors registration with the Fema, and anxiety that the Federal Reserve may give the survivors less time to progress. “The efforts to get the word about the help of Fema are very important,” he said. “Non -profit organizations will have to move quickly.”
Relief organizations such as Core and Good360 are also in putting more supplies in areas known as storms, partly if the Fema supplies arrive more slowly. Trump took up to eight weeks to agree to some advertising requests this spring, making relief groups more important as the survivors waited for help. “This preparation is the biggest thing to focus on,” said Mr. Lee.
Under pressure from discounts, more disasters
New responsibilities can come at a time when states and non -profit organizations and who are already funded are pressure due to the aggravation of disasters and federal financing discounts throughout the government.
The UNID World Worldwide Survey of 211 has found that disasters -related aids rose more than 50 % in 2024. Non -profit organizations were weakened through federal scholarship loss as well as the American CEOs.
Noah Patton, the director of disaster recovery in the National Alliance of the low -income housing coalition, said, adding that community organizations are already under pressure from lack of housing and other crises: “The groups in society overcome 365 days per year dramatically.”
“When you work on a shelter shelter, it is used 100 % and then a disaster falls on it, it is” how I will continue to do my job, “not” how I can expand my mission. “
Funders who work to restore fuel say they cannot replace federal funds. “This is not only unrealistic, it is a dangerous mixing of public responsibility,” said Ryan Iller, Executive Director of the Mawlis Network in Abalashia. “There is a reason these agencies were brought in primarily when local resources cannot meet the need.”
Charitable works have committed more than $ 300 million to recover for Hurricane Helen alone, and hundreds of other millions each for fires in Los Angeles and Ali Maui. Mr. Eller said it is difficult to collect donations for recovery. “There is general fatigue about charitable businesses due to the size and frequency of storms,” he said.
Mr. Bayard said that non -profit organizations are not aimed at getting more, simply building relations with the government, the local government, residents and their emergency colleagues will make everyone more prepared. “Fema out of it, and now we really look at societies that support societies,” he said. “It can really build some strong flexibility.”
This story was reported by Associated Press. Reuters materials were used in this report.
