FEMA Chief Says Agency Ready For 2026 Hurricanes Despite Staffing Strain
Acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton said the agency is "ready for hurricane season" during a "Silent Echo" hurricane drill at FEMA headquarters on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.[1]
Fenton said slightly more than 30% of FEMA's disaster workforce is currently available, about 30% is deployed, and roughly 30% is in training, on leave, or otherwise tasked.[1] He added that more than 100 total days of partial Department of Homeland Security shutdowns this year and an April drop of the Disaster Relief Fund below $3 billion forced FEMA into Immediate Needs Funding and delayed some disaster spending.[1]
A May 14, 2026 letter from House Homeland Security Committee Democrats warned FEMA has lost over 5,000 employees since January 2025 and that nearly half of its top 38 leadership posts are vacant.[1] Those losses and the recent funding shortfalls have heightened concern among lawmakers and emergency managers about the agency's ability to surge for major storms, a point Fenton sought to address at the drill.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Acting Administrator Bob Fenton told CBS News FEMA is "ready for hurricane season" during a "Silent Echo" hurricane drill at headquarters.
- Fenton said slightly more than 30% of FEMA's disaster workforce is currently available, while about 30% is deployed and another 30% is in training, on leave or otherwise tasked.
- A May 14, 2026 letter from House Homeland Security Committee Democrats warned FEMA has lost over 5,000 employees since January 2025 and that nearly half of its top 38 leadership posts are vacant.
- Fenton said more than 100 total days of partial DHS shutdowns this year and an April 2026 drop of the Disaster Relief Fund below $3 billion forced FEMA into Immediate Needs Funding and delayed some disaster spending.
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