As hurricane season approaches, Florida and other states are confronting a significant shift in disaster-response policy. The federal government is scaling back its role, placing more on state and local authorities.
In the past, when storms tore across Florida, the state could rely on the Federal Emergency Management Association, or FEMA, for substantial aid. State officials would submit a request, a team would review the damage, and, in many cases, federal aid would follow.
But that model is changing.
A recent executive order shifts more responsibility onto states, cities, and even individuals. It sets a series of deadlines for federal reforms, including overhauling preparedness policies and reviewing FEMA's role, all within the next year.
Florida Senator Don Gaetz said the state may actually be in a better position than most.
"I believe that the states in general, and Florida in particular, have more knowledge about and more skill at dealing with natural disasters than the federal government does," Gaetz said. "It seems as though when we do have a natural disaster, the emergency management resources of Florida are on the scene doing the job, being effective," often arriving before federal help.
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FEMA's future, in fact, is under scrutiny. Earlier this month, the agency's administrator, Cameron Hamilton, was fired after testifying before Congress, saying, "I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency."
The White House said FEMA's functions may be streamlined. The agency's performance is currently being reviewed by a council created in January. Those findings will shape how disaster response is handled going forward.
Emergency managers across the state warn that without clear federal support, basic recovery efforts like debris removal and temporary housing could stall. Smaller counties may struggle to keep up.
Senator Gaetz has been watching this closely.
"If this shift means, 'Here's your responsibility and good luck,' then I think we've got problems," he said. "If it means, 'Here are the resources, and we're turning them over to the states,' I think that's very good news. Florida knows how to handle this. What we need is clarity," he said.
Since last hurricane season, the senator has sponsored legislation to protect animals during disasters, making it a felony to abandon pets in storms. He says the state now has a network of rescue organizations ready to step in, but he wants to strengthen that system further.
He adds that Governor Ron DeSantis has been aggressive in deploying Florida's disaster resources, sometimes even lending them to other states.
Still, resources are finite. The state's own Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, or Cat Fund, is expected to have about $6.7 billion in cash and another $3.25 billion in pre-event bonds this year. That's well below the $17 billion it's authorized to cover. With federal aid in question, the pressure on state systems like the Cat Fund is likely to grow.
Locally, in Escambia County, officials encourage revisiting your storm plans. That includes assembling a disaster supply kit that can sustain your family for at least seven days. Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins says last season's storms spared Northwest Florida, but that's no reason to let your guard down.
"Hope is not a plan," he said, adding that residents must prepare now to avoid being caught off guard later.
As Florida enters another hurricane season on June 1, the question is not whether a major storm will hit but how ready the state will be to recover without federal help.
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