Acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton is projecting confidence that the agency is prepared for the 2026 hurricane season, even as the Trump administration continues to shift recovery responsibilities toward states and the agency grapples with severe staffing and funding shortfalls.
In an interview with CBS News published Wednesday, Fenton declared, “Oh, we’re ready for hurricane season. This is something we do every year. It’s in our DNA.” The remarks come as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a 55 percent chance of a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season, driven by a developing El Niño pattern, with one to three storms potentially reaching major hurricane status.
However, the agency’s readiness is under scrutiny after a prolonged government shutdown depleted its Disaster Relief Fund and forced FEMA to operate under a restricted spending model. “The lapse had a significant impact on us,” Fenton acknowledged. “Any time that you’re closed for 70-something days and then 40-something days this year — over 100 days in total this year — it has an impact. We are playing catch-up. But we play catch-up pretty quick here.”
FEMA, housed under the Department of Homeland Security, has also lost more than 5,000 employees since January 2025, and nearly half of its top 38 leadership positions remain vacant, according to top Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee. In a May 14 letter to Fenton and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Tim Kennedy (D-N.Y.) warned, “Regardless of seasonal forecasts, it only takes one storm to produce catastrophic loss of life and property. Americans in hurricane-prone communities deserve a FEMA that is fully staffed, operationally ready, and nonpartisan. By every measure, they do not have that today.”
Fenton pushed back, telling CBS that staffing numbers are improving. “We have a little bit over 30 percent of our disaster workforce ready right now,” he said. “Between 30 and 40 percent is normal availability.” He added that 30 percent of FEMA workers are currently deployed, with another 30 percent in training, credentialing, on leave, or assigned elsewhere.
The administration’s broader push to reshape FEMA has included slashing the workforce and pressing states to take charge of their own disaster relief. A reform council proposed this month that the agency review staffing, shift more responsibility to state, local, and tribal governments, and privatize flood insurance. Former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), a council member, said, “These recommendations are all about accelerating federal dollars, streamlining the process, making it less bureaucratic, so that Americans can get the help they need on the worst day of their lives.”
In a move that may signal internal friction, Fenton confirmed that a group of staffers suspended last August for signing an open letter accusing the Trump administration of weakening the agency’s response capabilities has been reinstated. The controversy echoes broader tensions within the federal workforce, as seen in other agencies like the Acting ICE Director's GEO Group ties that have raised confirmation questions.
With the hurricane season officially underway, the gap between Fenton’s assurances and the agency’s operational reality could become a political flashpoint, especially as lawmakers scrutinize whether FEMA can handle a major storm. The debate also parallels ongoing concerns about the republic's survival amid institutional strains.
