Experts, Local Leaders Sound Alarm on Lost Lessons, as Nearly 200 Current and Former FEMA Employees Warn Trump Cuts Risk Another Katrina

Former FEMA Administrator Criswell: “In the 20 years following Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, the federal government has strived to improve its ability to support people before, during, and after disasters, and I fear that we’re forgetting these lessons”

This week, as we mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, nearly 200 FEMA employees signed a letter warning that the Trump administration’s gutting of disaster response is leaving the country vulnerable to a catastrophe similar to Katrina. Following the letter’s release, the Trump administration placed more than a dozen FEMA employees on leave after they signed an open letter of dissent about the agency’s leadership. The letter, sent to members of Congress and the FEMA Review Council, comes as the country faces an “above-normal” hurricane season and massive cuts to FEMA staff and funding.

In response to Trump’s cuts, Sabotaging Our Safety hosted press calls this week discussing their impacts on disaster preparedness in Florida and Louisiana. During the calls, former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell warned that critical lessons learned from past disasters are being abandoned due to these devastating cuts.

“In the 20 years following Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, the federal government has strived to improve its ability to support people before, during, and after disasters, and I fear that we’re forgetting these lessons,” said Deanne Criswell, Former Administrator of FEMA. 

Former Louisiana Lt. Governor and Mayor of New Orleans Mitch Landrieu echoed these concerns: “Right now, we are losing a lot of ground quickly because the lessons that we learned are being completely undermined by the Trump administration’s gutting of FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service, hobbling the federal government’s ability to predict, prepare for, and then respond to disasters.”

Local leaders and elected officials in Louisiana and Florida spoke to the on-the-ground impacts of the Trump administration’s gutting disaster preparedness funding by canceling programs that protect communities from hurricanes and floods.

State Rep. Angie Nixon, Executive Director of Florida for All, said: “We are witnessing FEMA assistance being cut by the Trump administration, and we really need that during hurricane season. We’re in the middle of hurricane season, and it’s going to leave communities to fend for themselves when disaster strikes.”

Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis, Sabotaging Our Safety Advisory Council Member, warned of cascading impacts beyond federal cuts: “What we’re watching is state governments across this nation follow the Trump administration by ‘DOGE-ing’ their own Departments of Homeland Security, eliminating positions that are needed to have on-the-ground state support. As we’re having this federal change, there’s also a ripple down effect where state governments are also downsizing at the exact same time, which means we’re going to put people in a serious position.”

Take a look at some of the coverage below: 

On The Airwaves:

FL Rep. Angie Nixon On 10 Tampa Bay News: “Ron DeSantis has vetoed time and time again infrastructure projects within the communities that have intense flooding and hurricane mitigation efforts and we have to push back.”

Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Scripps News: “We are losing a lot of ground quickly because the lessons that we learned are being completely undermined by the Trump administration.”

Former FEMA Deputy Dir. Jeremy Edwards On MSNBC: “I’ve had concerns since this new administration took over. We’ve seen them come in, as former Senator Jones said, with a move fast and break things approach. They did the same thing at FEMA as they did at other agencies. They fired or let go of 2,000 full time permanent work force. They’re putting in overly burdensome bureaucratic hurdles to get assistance to get where they need to go.”

In Print:

WLRN: Former FEMA administrator warns cuts could move U.S. backwards after Hurricane Katrina

“The former top official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency is warning that the country is moving backward in its ability to handle a major natural disaster as the nation marks two decades since Hurricane Katrina, the costliest storm in U.S. history.

“‘I fear that we're forgetting these lessons and the further we get away from these catastrophic events, the more we forget how significant and how impactful they were,’ said Deanne Criswell, who served as FEMA’s administrator from 2021 to 2025.

“She joined current and former elected officials, along with medical experts from Florida, on an online conference call Monday to talk about the impact of President Donald Trump’s massive funding cuts to FEMA.”

Florida Phoenix: Former FEMA administrator lays out concerns about the agency as prime hurricane season begins

“With the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina this week, current and former employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are warning that budget cuts to the agency could soon become a major problem with several months left in the Atlantic hurricane season.

“‘One of the biggest things that I’ll be watching is whether or not FEMA’s going to be able to preposition resources ahead of a storm’s impact like they have had in the past,’ said Deanne Criswell, who served as FEMA administrator during the Biden administration in a Zoom call on Monday.

“‘What we’ve heard is that [they] want to turn the responsibility for managing disaster to the state and locals, but they already had the responsibility. FEMA can only come in and support if the state asks them to, but they have the ability to be proactive and get resources ready and anticipate what they think a state may ask for.’”

Miami Herald: FEMA staff warn Trump administration policies could lead to Katrina-like disaster 

“Employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency are warning that a Hurricane Katrina-like disaster is on the horizon because of decisions made about the agency by President Donald Trump’s administration.

“One Florida lawmaker conceded it’s unclear if the state is ready for a hurricane but worries that the Trump administration could put up roadblocks in the aftermath.

“‘We don’t know if Florida is really ready,’ Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon said during a press briefing on disaster preparations. ‘We won’t know, unfortunately, until a disaster hits us, and that is because this administration here has been so vindictive and so petty, frankly, that it’s hard to get in contact with them. It’s hard to get adequate answers and responses. And so that’s that’s where we are, honestly.’”

New York Times: FEMA Employees Warn That Trump Is Gutting Disaster Response

“Employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency wrote to Congress on Monday warning that the Trump administration had reversed much of the progress made in disaster response and recovery since Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast two decades ago.

“The letter to Congress, titled the “Katrina Declaration,” rebuked President Trump’s plan to drastically scale down FEMA and shift more responsibility for disaster response — and more costs — to the states. It came days before the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and costliest storms to ever strike the United States.”

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