FEMA is facing a significant brain drain, experts say, as about 20 percent of its permanent full-time staff, or roughly 1,000 workers, expected to take a voluntary buyout.
As Donald Trump and his strategist Elon Musk strive to shrink the size of government, FEMA has been especially targeted by negative rhetoric, which experts say is leading to more people being willing to take the buyout.
Trump and his allies have heavily criticized FEMA, including a time in January when Trump said “FEMA has been a very big disappointment. It's very bureaucratic."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has promised to “eliminate” the agency altogether, potentially in the coming months. Others are warning that a less effective FEMA could be devastating in the face of natural disasters including hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and floods.
"Workers believe any action against the agency could have major repercussions on its ability to provide disaster aid during hurricane season, wildfires and the continued onslaught of severe weather that has already brought devastating tornadoes and flooding to the Central United States," The Pensacola News Journal reported.
As another example of why so many people are taking the buyout, the Department of Homeland Security has administered lie detector tests to FEMA officials over alleged media leaks. “All of these people have seen their work destroyed and denigrated,” a senior FEMA official told CNN. “They started seeing that FEMA might actually be killed.”
And this may not be the end. Experts said more workforce reductions may be on the horizon at FEMA, with potential cuts to the Cadre of On-Call Response Employees and Reservists, "further impacting the agency's ability to deliver assistance to communities after disasters."
CNN reported those positions "include most of the public-facing roles that help deliver assistance to communities after disasters."
In February, more than 200 FEMA probational employees were laid off, the Pensacola News noted, adding "The agency was understaffed before the cuts."
"This loss of staff and the looming threat of further cuts will likely prolong wait times for financial assistance, infrastructure repairs and community cleanup," the newspaper added. "Losing senior leadership and staff with decades of experience could also have a big impact on rural, tribal and low-income communities that rely on FEMA’s expertise."