Today, Representatives Deborah Ross (NC-02), Alma Adams (NC-12), Don Davis (NC-01), and Valerie Foushee (NC-04) sent a letter calling out a reckless proposal to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), warning that such a move would undermine ongoing reconstruction efforts in Western North Carolina jut six months after Hurricane Helene, and put American lives at risk following future disasters. The letter comes after recent comments by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem expressing support for eliminating FEMA.
The lawmakers emphasized the critical role FEMA plays in disaster response and recovery, particularly in North Carolina, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. They demanded immediate answers on how essential disaster response functions would be handled without FEMA, whether emergency management experts or state and local officials have been consulted on the proposal, and what – if any – alternate plans exist to coordinate long-term recovery efforts in Western North Carolina.
The lawmakers wrote, “As representatives of a state that is regularly hit by destructive storms, we strongly believe your proposal to dismantle the agency is reckless and irresponsible, and will compromise the safety and well-being of disaster survivors, not only in North Carolina, but across the country.”
“No state or local government has the capacity to independently manage disaster response at this scale. Removing FEMA would unravel the network that brings federal, state, and local resources together, weakening our ability to respond effectively to disasters and leaving communities without the unified support they rely on in times of crisis,” they continued.
The lawmakers concluded, “Your threat to dismantle FEMA is not an abstract policy position — it is a real threat to the thousands of North Carolinians still living in temporary housing, relying on FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Recenters for guidance, and awaiting the delivery of federal support to clear debris and rebuild roads. Eliminating this agency now will strand communities in crisis.”
Full text of the letter is available here.