Last year was a record year for disasters in the United States. A new report from the British charity International Institute for Environment and Development finds that 90 disasters were declared nationwide in 2024, from wildfires in California to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides funding and recovery assistance to states after disasters. President Donald Trump criticized the agency in January 2025 when he visited hurricane-stricken western North Carolina. Though 41% of Americans lived in an area affected by disaster in 2024, according to the institute's report, the Trump administration is reportedly working to abolish or dramatically diminish FEMA's operations. 'FEMA has been a very big disappointment. They cost a tremendous amount of money. It's very bureaucratic, and it's very slow,' Trump declared, saying he thought states were better positioned to 'take care of problems' after a disaster. As a scholar who researches how small...
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