Since April 16th, the state of Arizona has voiced its concerns about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Yavapai County applied for a federal grant to install a drainage system in the Yarnell community. The county’s goal is to prevent future flooding as the area suffered from one in 2016. Their request is currently in jeopardy after FEMA dismissed the Building Resilient Structure and Communities (BRIC) program on April 4th.
Fast forward to August 25th, a haboob struck Arizona, followed by a monsoon. The latest natural disaster has left thousands of Phoenix and Arizona City residents without power. The surrounding areas are also under a low visibility advisory as a massive dust cloud looms. Now, former FEMA employees are racing against the Trump Administration in Congress to prevent the agency’s removal.
How Arizona’s Dry Climate Predicted August Monsoon
Arizona is one of the few states that suffer from monsoons yearly. Between the 2023 and 2024 seasons, meteorologists measured how dry and dusty the state’s soil became after a consistent under-inch of rain. 12 News predicted the 2025 monsoons would be 40%-50% above average precipitation on June 16th. This was due to the low soil moisture from the dry winter and spring.
A heat dome later formed over the United States during July, increasing the state’s temperatures. Arizona’s Family reported that Phoenix broke its highest record with 118℉ on August 8th. This unnatural heating has proven to cause natural disasters around the world, including the Mediterranean Fires. Soon, Phoenix and Arizona City were met with a haboob in their latest monsoon.
NBC News informed the nation that powerful winds affected 15,000 residents, leaving them without power on August 25th. TikTok user Liam Dixon posted a video on how thick the haboob was while flying towards the city. Not even sunlight could seep through the vast dust cloud.
Airports within city limits cancelled flights and have in-operation planes reroute their landing. As for drivers, they must pull aside into a safe spot and travel at low speeds with lights on. The monsoon during this time brought in heavy rainfall while knocking down debris in communities. Many residents who were caught within the storm described the event as apocalyptic. Arizona is under a flood watch as the monsoon continues.
The Irresponsibilities of Noem and Trump’s FEMA
Within five months, FEMA has been scrutinized for its unqualified leadership in federal grants. Arizona’s requested funding for a drainage system in the Yarnell community. It got rejected as the agency ended the BRIC program. The Trump Administration believed it was “wasteful” and “politicized” spending on April 4th. The state has been applying for the program, supporting flood mitigation projects to defend against monsoons since 2020.
FEMA’s situation escalated after the Texas Kerr County Flood occurred. The state requested emergency aid, but to no avail. The nation learned that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem must personally process any grants over $100,000. Further injuring her leadership, Noem hired former Marine combat veteran David Richardson to manage the agency. Neither he nor his employees had experience with managing natural disaster relief.
And finally, Noem and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) implemented staffing cuts to the agency and the National Weather Service. This left Texas to be notified in a late manner, resulting in 135 deaths and thousands of unanswered FEMA calls.
The Katrina Declaration for Agency Independence
Since the end of the BRIC program, Arizona and 19 other states are challenging the Trump Administration to restore it. A 68-page lawsuit filed in Massachusetts claims that their political influence with FEMA has illegally cut off support for infrastructure projects. Here’s what the states say against the program’s dismissal:
“[BRIC] projects have been in development for years. Communities that have invested millions of dollars in planning, permitting, and environmental review are now threatened. [The Trump Administration’s] decision to slash billions of dollars that protect millions from [natural disasters] is at risk. [They] do not have the authority to cut this program that helped save countless lives.”
Yet, the recent months have demonstrated that FEMA must become independent again. The reason why the agency has been under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is due to the Bush Administration’s shifting focus on terrorism in 2001. President George Bush cut disaster programs after the 9/11 attacks. Within two years, he stripped FEMA’s independence, followed by massive layoffs.
Doing so resulted in poor preparation for New Orleans against Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The death toll went up to 1,833, leaving many survivors betrayed by FEMA. Katrina survivor Darren McKinney mentioned to The Guardian that there weren’t enough emergency shelters to provide everyone a place to stay.
Over 180 former FEMA employees have gathered together and sent the Katrina Declaration to Congress on August 25th. The letter accuses President Donald Trump and Noem of overhauling the agency’s capabilities and authority. By appointing unqualified leadership, emergency grants have been withheld to support communities in dire need and prepare for natural disasters. The former members’ request for FEMA to become a Cabinet-level, independent agency, so that no political meddling will interfere with responses.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is following a similar path with the Weather Enforcement Improvement Act. After DOGE attempted to lay off most of the NWS’s staff, 450 employees were rehired for the Atlantic Hurricane season. The bill is encouraged to protect meteorologists and reclassify their jobs as critical roles.
