Trump’s FEMA Abandons Programs to Prepare Americans for Disaster

Feb. 26, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC

President Donald Trump says he wants to shift the responsibility of handling disasters from the federal government to cities and states. But his administration quietly dismantled a division working towards that goal by making the public more prepared for snow, flooding and hurricanes.

In a bid to cut costs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency closed the Individual and Community Preparedness Division, or ICPD, and many of its programs last year, according to an internal document seen by Bloomberg News and people familiar with the unit.

Victoria Barton, a spokesperson for FEMA, confirmed the agency shut down the division in September as part of an effort ...

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