WATCH: State Rep. Westbrook, Commissioner Frasier Expose How Trump’s FEMA Cuts, Kemp’s Inaction Leave GA Defenseless As Hurricane Season Begins

Written By Leah Hurwitz

State Representative Anne Allen Westbrook: “There is really no level of government that can appropriately respond to those kinds of challenges, other than the federal government.”

Liberty County Commissioner Justin Frasier: “We have a president that’s discussing, at one time, cutting FEMA totally, but then decided to cut it 20%, that’s putting more of a hindrance and a burden on the state level.”

ATLANTA, GA — Today, Georgia State Representative Anne Allen Westbrook and Liberty County Commissioner Justin Fraiser joined a call with Sabotaging Our Safety to discuss how Trump and Kemp have failed Georgia as hurricane season looms. Trump has systematically dismantled Georgia's hurricane defenses while Kemp refuses to challenge these attacks on disaster preparedness. This comes after Kemp called his support for Trump a “business decision,” then Trump denied Georgia’s hurricane relief extension request—yet Kemp still won’t stand up to Trump's assault on the state's disaster readiness.

Speakers exposed how the Kemp administration’s neglect has left Georgia communities vulnerable as NOAA predicts a 60% chance of an above-normal hurricane season. The call detailed how Trump’s elimination of FEMA’s BRIC program—which provided $4.6 billion nationally since 2020 to protect communities from disasters—and his 20% FEMA staff cuts have created critical emergency response gaps that Kemp has failed to address.

“It is crucially important that we have the backing of our federal government, because these issues are very unpredictable. They can be catastrophic in their effects, and there is really no level of government that can appropriately respond to those kinds of challenges, other than the federal government,” said State Representative Anne Allen Westbrook. “Hurricanes don’t respect state boundaries. That’s not how these events work, and so that’s why, what I’m really looking for from Governor Kemp and my Republican colleagues who control all of state government–a recognition of the absolutely crucial role that the federal government has got to play in assisting us.”

“Hurricanes are so unpredictable and with the federal government saying they’re cutting back on FEMA, it’s so troubling for us, especially on a coastal community, because not only we have to worry about from the Atlantic, but also a lot of a lot of hurricanes come from from the Gulf as well,” said Liberty County Commissioner Justin Frasier. “The state level has a certain responsibility, but the federal government has a larger responsibility to make sure that our citizens do have the proper resources and when we have a president that’s discussing, at one time, cutting FEMA totally, but then decided to cut it 20%, that’s putting more of a hindrance and a burden on the state level.”

BACKGROUND: Trump, Kemp Fail Georgia As Hurricane Season Looms

Trump Abandons Georgia While Kemp Stays Silent

  • Trump denied Georgia's hurricane relief extension request in February 2025, abandoning Georgians still recovering from one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history and forcing the state to cover 25% more disaster costs.

  • Kemp's response was pathetically weak, saying “to do another [extension] would've really been abnormal” instead of demanding Trump reverse his cruel denial of aid to hurricane victims.

  • Hurricane Helene caused up to $5.5 billion in lost income for Georgia farmers and killed 34 people, yet Kemp won't challenge Trump's decision to abandon them.

Trump Has Gutted FEMA While Georgia Faces Hurricane Threats

  • Disaster relief has become a partisan weapon instead of emergency aid for Americans in crisis.

  • Trump initially proposed eliminating FEMA entirely, then shifted to discussing a “rebranding” while implementing devastating cuts.

  • Trump has already slashed 20% of FEMA's staff and frozen funds, crippling the agency's ability to respond to disasters.

  • These cuts leave Georgia increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic hurricane damage as the state enters hurricane season with a crippled disaster response agency.

Kemp Refuses to Fight for Georgia While Families Suffer

  • Kemp has the political power to challenge Trump’s dismantling of disaster preparedness but chooses not to use it, prioritizing his personal standing with Trump over Georgia families' immediate safety.

  • Hurricane Helene victims are still waiting for aid eight months after the storm while Trump's Agriculture Department delays assistance.

  • Kemp refuses to challenge Trump's disaster cuts, prioritizing his political relationship with Trump over Georgia families' safety and failing to publicly demand a reversal of the policies that leave the state vulnerable.

  • University of Georgia expert warns cuts “could be devastating” while noting that “major hurricanes pose the greatest risk” to the state.

Trump Eliminates Critical Hurricane Protection Programs

The Bottom Line

  • Trump has systematically dismantled the disaster response system that Georgia depends on during hurricane season. While proposing to eliminate FEMA entirely, he's already cut staff, frozen funds, and cancelled critical protection programs.

  • Kemp has the power to fight back but won't risk his political future to protect Georgia families. When hurricane season hits, Georgians will pay the price for both Trump's cruelty and Kemp's cowardice.

  • Georgians are facing hurricane season with a weaker, more bureaucratic FEMA while still waiting for aid from last year's storms. Georgia deserves federal disaster protection, not political games.

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Leah Hurwitz
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