As Washington braces for another season of floods and wildfires, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has quietly halted over $300 million in preparedness grants; funds that support emergency staff, training, and public safety infrastructure. The catch? States must now recertify their population counts, excluding individuals deported under federal immigration laws.
This unprecedented requirement isn’t just bureaucratic, it’s dangerous. Communities across our state rely on these grants to update flood maps, equip first responders, and prepare for climate-driven disasters. FEMA’s decision, layered atop a government shutdown, leaves local agencies scrambling and vulnerable.
Disaster doesn’t discriminate. Neither should preparedness funding. I urge our state’s Republican and Democratic leaders alike to challenge this directive and restore timely access to the resources our communities need to stay safe.
Cathy Ozog
Granite Falls
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