Interesting numbers in $2.2 billion in FEMA funding announced today for past disasters. The DHS press release lists only the 15 largest of 1,721 recovery projects, but of those $875 million, $768 million went to states that voted for President Trump. www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01...

Hurricane Katrina was a “before-and-after moment” for emergency management in the U.S., says @sarahlabo.bsky.social. The Trump administration’s cuts to FEMA are setting 2025 up to be another.    Sarah explained on @kcrw.com: www.kcrw.com/news/shows/p...

Thanks for having me on to talk about #disasters and FEMA @pbsnews.org! www.youtube.com/live/6Vp2LAZ...

I wrote about the relationship between the state and #FEMA in Texas and how much we rely on federal help to recover from disasters @texasmonthly.bsky.social www.texasmonthly.com/opinion/texa...

Talking with @texasnewsdude.bsky.social at noon central today (Wed 7/30) about #flooding in Texas www.tpr.org/people/david... @texasstandard.bsky.social

Acting #FEMA Administrator Richardson said today that the response in Texas was nearly perfect (we'll see). But what about all the other places that are waiting and waiting for FEMA to show up? I talked to Mayor @caraspencer.bsky.social in STL to find out. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Here's #disaster data as of today on open disaster declaration requests and how the administration is batching governors' requests for #FEMA help...

Some #disaster data to end the week...

🧵President Trump and his administration frame disaster recovery as a question of state-level self-sufficiency. But does that reflect the reality? Some of our Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics scholars provide some clarity.

Even in states with big economies – like Texas and Florida – rebuilding after a disaster without federal assistance is functionally impossible. @sarahlabo.bsky.social breaks it down: youtube.com/shorts/fTR5D...

Hurricane season is off to a rocky start. For some disasters, the admin is taking *months* to approve governors' requests for disaster declarations that activate federal help. Average number of outstanding requests in the 2 weeks before hurricane season for the last decade: 4. This year? 13.

Spreading out disaster risk across a big and rich country makes so much more sense than concentrating the risk in a few states. Our latest on the start of hurricane season, with @leonardom-d.bsky.social & Debbra Goh carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

Mystery and intrigue are no way to prepare for a disaster. States need an on ramp for major changes in funding and responsibility for disaster recovery. wapo.st/45RTx2B

The Trump administration’s cuts to critical FEMA programs have left communities – even in red counties – struggling to pick up the pieces. @sarahlabo.bsky.social weighed in on support for one cancelled program for @nytimes.com:

Investing in creatives to be creative is the work of “narrative.” In spaces I’m in, “narrative” is abstract. It’s reports, trainings, prescriptions for what narrative “should” be - everything except creating compelling content about characters & events that people want to read/watch/consume.

The team at E&E interviewed *so many* people for this story, every one of them worried and confused about how we're going to respond to disasters this summer www.eenews.net/articles/cha...

@arunadsouza.bsky.social gives Vincent Valdez all of his flowers in this portrait 🌸🌺🌼. If you don’t know Vincent’s gorgeous work that holds a mirror up to all of us, this is a great place to start. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/a...

Helping these women finally get back on the field has been the highlight of 2025 so far. Good things come from supporting women’s sports ⚽️💕🌈 www.khou.com/video/news/l...

Lots of talk about TX and FL and their capacity to meet disaster needs as FEMA seeks to push responsibility for response and recovery to the state level. Since 2015, FEMA sent $6.6B to Texas for disasters and $13.2B to FL.

“The U.S. federal disaster aid system, including FEMA, needs to change to deliver on a national security imperative and meet a moment.” For notes on how it could change, read the latest from @sarahlabo.bsky.social and @leonardom-d.bsky.social: carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

Hurricane season is just around the corner. But FEMA, already under intense scrutiny from the Trump administration, just lost its acting administrator. @sarahlabo.bsky.social weighed in for @washingtonpost.com 👇 Full article here: buff.ly/4of5Lma

I have to know: is AOC on Ravelry (i.e. the best social network)?? #knitsky

On April 28, the White House and DHS announced the FEMA Review Council “charged with streamlining operations and ensuring FEMA delivers rapid, efficient, and mission-focused relief to Americans in need.” www.fox13news.com/news/mayor-c...

Ag got $33.2B in the Dec 20th CR, so this is mostly programming the funds that they received last year (For context, HUD rushed to release their allocations in January). www.usda.gov/about-usda/n...

Trump just denied North Carolina’s request for FEMA relief from Hurricane Helene, calling it “unwarranted.”

The news has been flying fast and furious on FEMA. @tomwarrickac.bsky.social rounds up the highlights...

🧵On Monday, after Sec. Kristi Noem suggested eliminating FEMA and two lawmakers proposed making it a Cabinet-level department, the beleaguered agency’s future grew even more uncertain. Carnegie’s @sarahlabo.bsky.social provided some clarity. See the recent impact of her work 👇

It's pretty remarkable that we've moved from "get rid of FEMA as it exists today" to a 240-day review of national preparedness and response policies www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

Thanks for the shoutout @hcrichardson.bsky.social! "if we stop spreading the costs [of disasters] around the country, then it's going to fall on states, and it's going to fall on states really unevenly.” heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/march-17-2...

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders being very forward leaning in activating the state's emergency fund, even for a relatively modest $250k (likely anticipating the federal EO expected to push more responsibility onto the states for disaster recovery). governor.arkansas.gov/executive_or...

Shout it from the rooftops: resource creators to be creative and distribution channels so their work can be seen and heard. So tired of hearing about “messaging” in my circles. Messaging is by & for consultants.

NEW: Data from @sarahlabo.bsky.social shows which states would face the biggest financial burdens in a world with less or no federal disaster relief www.axios.com/2025/03/13/f...

"Up to now, when there is a disaster, the government responds. They clean up the debris, they rebuild the schools, they run shelters, they clean the drinking water" What if FEMA goes away? @sarahlabo.bsky.social data in @axios.com breaks down the state/local impact: www.axios.com/2025/03/13/f...

@sarahlabo.bsky.social: “If we stop spreading the costs around the country, then it's going to fall on states, and it's going to fall on states really unevenly." Read more in @axios.com: www.axios.com/2025/03/13/f...

@sarahlabo.bsky.social and Debbra Goh explain in the latest from Emissary: carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

Happening now www.youtube.com/watch?v=snc9...

NOAA's billion dollar disaster tracking and web tools seem to be down. www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billi...

“Misrepresenting what FEMA is doing for disaster survivors only makes recovery harder and adds stress to what people in North Carolina, Florida and California are going through right now.” www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

"Ironically, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, three Republican-leaning Southern states frequently hit by hurricanes, rank among the top recipients of FEMA funds, according to the Carnegie Disaster Dollar Database." www.newsweek.com/can-donald-t... @jesusmesa.bsky.social

I wrote about things to watch after the #lafires at the end of Jan (w/ the fab Debbra Goh). One thing we're keeping an eye on is how many people are applying for help from FEMA. The numbers are so much bigger than for any previous fire carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

SCOOP from @nbcnews.com — A senior FEMA official instructed subordinates to freeze funding for a wide array of grant programs Monday, just hours after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration — for the second time — to stop such pauses. www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...

FEMA reform is being framed as giving state and local governments more control. Currently, the biggest program for disaster recovery is FEMA's Public Assistance program, which reimburses state & local governments for their disaster recovery expenses.

Excellent reporting from the @washingtonpost.com team about how DOGE employees without security clearances now have access to individual Americans' disaster data at FEMA www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

How and where does the U.S. allocate funding for disaster relief? Check out this novel analysis provided in the Disaster Dollar Database on these timely trends. Some stellar work from my colleagues @sarahlabo.bsky.social and @debbragoh.bsky.social at @carnegieendowment.org #ClimateSky #GreenSky

Seeing the disaster conspiracy playbook run wild again during the #LAfires. It's 2 parts: 1) undermine government emergency responders, 2) divide people who need help. There's even evidence that foreign gov'ts are running the playbook in disaster after disaster. carnegieendowment.org/posts/2024/1...

I spent a hot Friday night breaking down what’s included in the CR's $110B for disaster 🧵 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Curious about the disaster $$ in the budget? Here’s a line item view… docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

$12B for CDBG-DR (long term housing & community disaster recovery) in the CR. HUD to publish rules by 1/15/24, and no take backs by any future admin…

@katelynnvogt.bsky.social wish you were here!