FEMA cancels disaster-prevention grants

Summary

FEMA cancelled its $3.6 billion BRIC pre-disaster mitigation program, after earlier pulling a notice for $600 million in Flood Mitigation Assistance grants, as Trump said he would phase out FEMA after the 2025 hurricane season.

What happened

On April 30, 2025, FEMA cancelled its $3.6 billion Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) pre-disaster mitigation program, calling it 'wasteful'; in February the administration had removed notices for $750 million in BRIC grants and $600 million in Flood Mitigation Assistance grants. Trump separately said he would 'phase out' FEMA after the 2025 hurricane season and push recovery onto states. Twenty-two states plus the District of Columbia sued, and the cuts drew bipartisan criticism amid the July 2025 Texas floods that killed more than 130 people. On December 11, 2025, U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns (D. Mass.) ruled the termination of the congressionally mandated program unlawful and ordered FEMA to reverse it. After FEMA failed to comply, the court issued an enforcement order in March 2026 requiring FEMA to restore roughly $4.5 billion in BRIC funding and reopen applications within about 21 days. FEMA conceded in March 2026, filing a plan to reinstate the program and make about $1 billion in new grants available.

Impact on the United States

BRIC helps states, local governments, territories and tribes fund projects to harden against hazards such as fires, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes. The cancellation halted roughly $3.6 billion for what CBS News described as several years' worth of projects to protect infrastructure, communities and homes.

Documented effects

1. Apr 2025$3.6 billion BRIC mitigation program cancelled; a notice for $600 million in Flood Mitigation Assistance grants had been removed in February[1]
2. Twenty-two states plus the District of Columbia sued FEMA over the cancellation[3][4]
3. Jul 2025July 2025 Texas floods killed more than 130 people amid the cuts[3]
4. Mar 2026A federal judge ruled the BRIC cancellation unlawful (Dec 11, 2025); a March 2026 enforcement order requires FEMA to restore ~$4.5B and reopen applications. FEMA conceded and filed a reinstatement plan making ~$1B in new grants available.[3][4][5]
5. Aug 4, 2026GAO found about 17% of FEMA's workforce (over 4,300 employees) separated in FY2025, a 55% increase over FY2024; disaster-response CORE staff fell from an FY2025 average of about 11,039 to 9,808 by April 18, 2026; 58 senior executives left between January 20, 2025 and January 10, 2026; and FEMA rescinded its 2022-2026 strategic plan in May 2025 without releasing a replacement as of July 2026[7]

Why this is rated severe

Canceled a $3.6B pre-disaster mitigation program, halting several years' worth of flood and storm protection projects until courts ordered it restored.

termination ruled unlawful; FEMA reopened BRIC applications for $1 billion in March 2026 under court order; states said owed funds had not yet been paid

Corrections & updates [4]

Every change to a fact on this page after publication is logged here, newest first.

1. Sep 29, 2026CorrectedSource

   The CBS News link, listed as an April 30, 2025 article titled "20 states sue FEMA...", opens a March 25, 2026 article: "FEMA resumes disaster mitigation program following judge's order on lawsuit brought by Democratic-led states." That article reports the $3.6 billion cancellation and the suit by 22 states and DC. It also reports the Texas floods that killed more than 130 people, the December ruling, and FEMA reopening applications with $1 billion. The Texas-floods effect cited a CNN article from June 11, 2025, which predates the floods. The Society of Environmental Journalists page is an aggregator excerpt of a New York Times article, so it is removed as a source.[3]

2. Sep 29, 2026UpdatedEffects

   Updated: an August 4, 2026 Government Accountability Office report found about 17% of FEMA's workforce (over 4,300 employees) left in fiscal 2025, 55% more separations than in fiscal 2024, and that FEMA rescinded its strategic plan in May 2025 without releasing a replacement.[7]

3. Sep 29, 2026CorrectedStatus

   The status said reinstatement was 'contested' and BRIC funds were 'largely frozen as of mid-2026'; no cited source supports that. The sources show FEMA conceded, filed a reinstatement plan and on March 25, 2026 opened applications for $1 billion in BRIC funding under court order, while North Carolina's attorney general said owed funds had not yet arrived. The entry also said FEMA 'removed 2025 Flood Mitigation Assistance funding'; E&E News reports the administration removed a notice announcing $600 million in Flood Mitigation Assistance grants. The North Carolina DOJ release is dated March 24, 2026, not March 1. E&E News (a specialist energy and environment outlet) and Smart Cities Dive (a trade title) are labeled Tier 3.[1][3][5]

4. Sep 29, 2026ClarifiedUS impact

   The US-impact text and severity note stated as fact that the cancellation raises disaster casualties and shifts costs to states that lack reserves. No cited source documents those effects. The text now describes what the program funds and what CBS reported was halted.[3]

Sources [6]