Hurricane Isaias could test FEMA’s ability to mobilize a large emergency workforce after staffing cuts and restructuring, emergency management experts warn. Gulf state officials say they are prepared for the storm.
More than 4,300 employees left FEMA in fiscal year 2025, roughly 17% of its workforce, a Government Accountability Office report found. Chris Currie, a GAO director, said the reductions were not planned systematically to ensure the agency could still meet its legal duties.
The GAO also recorded 58 senior executive departures from January 2025 to January 2026. Former FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said the loss of experienced staff concerned her more than the total number who left.
Isaias is expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday in a region that includes Florida and Alabama. FEMA said it is monitoring and preparing for the storm. The Trump administration has said it wants to eliminate or sharply reduce the agency, placing more responsibility on states.
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