FEMA Cuts, Layoffs Spark Local Concerns as Wildfire and Hurricane Seasons Approach

Hurricane and wildfire seasons are quickly approaching. How the federal government and local governments respond to disasters could be changing, too.President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating FEMA, the federal agency charged with emergency and disaster management, and has made sweeping layoffs and funding cuts to the agency, raising concerns about the impact on local communities.Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Sullivan County resident Henry de la Cova, a former FEMA Corps member who was laid off as part of broader federal funding cuts, about his experience with FEMA and his perspective on the future of the agency.