Katrina Declaration criticizes Trump-era FEMA changes

More than 180 current and former Federal Emergency Management Agency employees sent an urgent letter to Congress on Monday, saying recent policy changes and personnel moves under the Trump administration have hollowed out the agency’s ability to respond to disasters and could invite a catastrophe on the scale of Hurricane Katrina. The authors, who published the “Katrina Declaration” ahead of the storm’s 20th anniversary, also said some staff who publicly signed the letter were put on paid administrative leave within days, although accounts differ on how many were affected.

The broad letter, signed openly by about 35 people with others remaining anonymous, accuses President Donald Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and top FEMA officials of eroding core preparedness programs, cutting staff and installing leaders the signatories say lack experience in emergency management. The letter singled out a new policy requiring Noem’s personal approval for any FEMA contract or grant above $100,000 and said that bottleneck slowed responses during deadly July flash floods in Kerrville, Texas. It also alleges reassignment of some FEMA employees to Immigration and Customs...