Senator Kim Presses Secretary Noem on Lack of Hurricane Preparedness Plan and FEMA Administrator Just Days Out from Hurricane Season
May 21, 2025
WASHINGTON D.C. – This week, Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) pressed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on the Trump administration’s failure to produce a finalized hurricane preparedness plan and formally nominate a FEMA Administrator with hurricane season just days away.
“When it comes to FEMA, this is something I’m concerned about being from New Jersey, we’ve had challenges with Superstorm Sandy and others in the past. I was alarmed when I saw some reports that the acting head Richardson said last Thursday that he’s just 80-85% done with the hurricane season plan, given that we are just days away from hurricane season beginning. Is he done with his hurricane preparedness plan?…Will you be able to share that plan with this committee?” asked Senator Kim.
After being unable to confirm that the report is completed and stating that she is actively engaged in hurricane response planning, Secretary Noem statedthat she would “check to make sure” she could share it with the committee.
Tuesday’s hearing was held in the wake of staff cuts at FEMA, reports of a recent internal review that cites the agency as “not ready” for hurricane season, and calls by President Trump to abolish FEMA entirely. During the hearing, Secretary Noem shared: “The president firmly believes that FEMA needs to be eliminated as it stands today.”
As Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ subcommittee that oversees FEMA, Senator Kim has continued to call for bipartisan reforms to FEMA that help ensure New Jersey communities and people across the country can have confidence in FEMA’s leadership, rely on FEMA as a lifeline, and always have a place to turn when disaster strikes. This includes protecting survivors from faulty or fraudulent insurance practices as families are already struggling to recover after a natural disaster like Superstorm Sandy.
Senator Kim has long advocated for permanent and comprehensive disaster relief at the federal level, pushing to fully authorize and fund federal disaster recovery grant programs and to invest in climate resilient infrastructure. He has also worked to ensure federal funding from FEMA reaches New Jersey to assist in response efforts, including after recent wildfires in South Jersey.
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