Guthrie named to FEMA Review Council
Fort Myers Beach does its homework and will finally be off FEMA probation, President Trump announces some Florida members to serve on the new FEMA review council, FEMA delivers a new update on ending the BRIC program, and the state attorney general drops a lawsuit that accused unequal treatment of Trump supporters after last year’s hurricanes. It’s all in this week’s Disaster Management Digest.
A home in Ft. Myers Beach awaits repairs from Hurricane Ian damage, June 27, 2023
Fort Myers Beach Regaining FEMA Footing: Fort Myers Beach was placed on probation by FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program for failing to correct violations on Hurricane Ian rebuilding under the agency’s 50% rule back in late 2024. As we reported, Mayor Dan Allers was convinced the city could right the ship and meet the five corrective actions required by FEMA, and according to recent reports, his plan worked: Fort Myers Beach will be probation free come November 18 of this year. While their NFIP discount eligibility is still uncertain, the town was able to reassess their floodplain development and improve code enforcement by addressing all noncompliant structures in said floodplains, thereby increasing their flood resiliency. Allers plans on regaining the 25% discount as early as April of next year, but for now the citizens can at least enjoy the lifting of the $50 surcharge tacked onto each policy.
Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie at a Hurricane Milton news conference on October 7, 2024. Courtesy, The Florida Channel
FEMA’s Review Council: In late April, the eerie silence surrounding the fate of FEMA was broken when President Trump announced a new FEMA review council to combat some of the agency’s shortcomings he critiqued throughout their handling of Hurricane Helene, especially in North Carolina. Those appointed to the council include Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie and Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz, among others who are considered to be experts in the disaster recovery field.
Kevin Guthrie stands as a steadfast leader, guiding our state through its most perilous storms with decisive action, calm authority, and an unwavering commitment to protecting lives and communities. This April 12 memo written by FEMA Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton, while a draft, is a glimpse into the ideas being circulated to re-imagine FEMA.
The council is expected to help cut red tape surrounding disaster recovery funding and in the President’s own words, “fix a terribly broken system, and return power to the State Emergency Managers.” While not too many more details are known at this time, the appointees and their council could help settle some of the rumors surrounding the future of federal disaster relief.
BRIC Update: As a part of FEMA’s reconfiguration, on April 4 it announced the end of its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. Nearly $300 million in aid to fund hurricane resilience projects in Florida has been frozen. As such, funding opportunities from the program have been cut for the rest of 2024, and no further applications will be viewed. FEMA released a new update last week, saying the agency “is working to develop a new, more responsive approach to disasters that meets state and local requirements, achieves clear mitigation goals and results in more timely funding obligations.” FEMA said it will be reaching out to recipients and coordinating on their ongoing projects. The agency’s website will be updated with a full list of projects selected for funding over the last four years, showing the status of each project, whether fully obligated, partially obligated or canceled.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier
FEMA Lawsuit Dismissed: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier recently dismissed the state’s ongoing lawsuit surrounding FEMA’s alleged mishandling of services in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton – where workers were said to be skipping Florida houses with President Trump campaign signs in the front yard under the direction of supervisor Marn’i Washington. The dismissal comes after a letter that the U.S. Department of Justice filed on FEMA’s behalf that included a full timeline of events and stated “We are hopeful that … the state of Florida and its people can be confident that FEMA is striving to avoid a repeat of the events giving rise to this case and that the agency is committed to the fair, compassionate, and even-handed delivery of services.” Washington has repeatedly denied the allegations but was still terminated from the agency on November 9 of last year and blamed rather directly in the letter.
(Editor’s Note: With the end of the policy part of this legislative session comes the end of our weekly newsletters. We’ll return on our regular bi-monthly schedule on May 19. See you then!)
LMA Newsletter of 5-5-25
