Federal disaster experts are missing important meetings due to Trump travel restrictions
FEMA and NOAA officials are being forced to release major storms and flood conferences before the disaster season for federal employees.
An aerial scene reflects flood waters around a rural house near Poplar Bluff, Missouri on 06 April 2025. Thunderstorms, heavy rains, high winds and tornadoes have caused wide damage to areas for the past several days.
Climatewire | When the National Hurricane Conference begins on Monday in New Orleans, one thing will disappear: federal storm expert.
Agencies such as NOAA and Federal Emergency Management Agency have sent officials to speak at storms and flood conferences for decades, where they can join with local authorities, researchers and businesses.
But President Donald Trump Travel ban on federal employees Most of the agency officials have prevented this year from attending disaster conferences and sharing their expertise with thousands.
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“It is very unfortunate that our federal partners are not able to appear,” said Chad Burginis, Executive Director of the Association of State Fldplane Managers. Flood conference in May.
Federal experts are leaving large -scale major conferences in this spring on floods, storms and other disasters.
The four-day National Hurricane Conference, run by a non-profit organization, is just one federal speaker, FEMA acting administrator Cameron Hamilton.
Last year, the conference featured 10 FEMA experts, who performed the evacuation of the storm, a storm and the evacuation of the storm during the search and the operation, the needs of the children. The conference officials did not respond to the requests of the comment.
In mid -May, the organizers of this year’s Governor’s Hurricane Conference recently told emails present by email that they were canceling the scheduled panels “due to travel restrictions affecting our trainers from FEMA, National Weather Service and other federal agencies.”
Emails obtained by E&E News of Politico lists 13 training sessions and workshops that were canceled for a six -day conference in Florida. They included storm withdrawal, tropical meteorology and submissions from the previous storm.
“A part of the draw is that people took those (national) weather service-covered classes,” said Jonathan Lord, president of the Florida Emergency Preparation Association and Flagler County, Florida, Florida, Florida. “Historically, people have gone because it is a unique place to listen directly from some of those forecasts, some of those scientists.”
The Governor’s Hurricane Conference is run by a non -profit organization and is not affiliated to any governor.
Trump’s travel ban is a small part of an executive order issued in February that aims to cut federal expenses, mostly through contracts. The order also banned federal employees from “conferences or other non -proposals federally funded”.
FEMA and NOAA officials did not respond to the remarks requests.
FEMA usually has a major attendance at the annual conference of the Fldplain Association, which was called the largest flood conference in the world by the Executive Director, Burginis. More than 2,000 people attended the 2024 program in Salt Lake City.
FEMA experts made 38 performances on topics such as reducing flood risk and damage, transporting flood risk and navigating agency disaster programs. Officials of NOAA and other federal agencies gave 16 presentations on floods, according to this Conference agenda.
The five -day conference of the association that begins in New Orleans on 18 May Six federal presentations scheduled – By army core of three armies, two by NOAA and one by American Geological Survey.
No one is on the agenda from FEMA. Consultation firms are handling the types of presentations that FEMA gave in 2024.
“Our conference has certainly affected,” Burginis said about Trump’s travel sanctions. ” “Conferences are working not only to exchange ideas but also to emerge and understand new techniques, and to interface with people … to reduce floods.”
FEMA’s National Emergency Management Association had an annual conference at an annual conference in March. Hamilton was the acting administrator, the only agency speaker.
It is not clear whether the FEMA travel was affected by the restrictions as the conference was held in downtown Washington, one mile and a half from FEMA headquarters.
The association said in an email, “The federal attendance number was lower than normal in the NEMA Mid-Eyer Forum, but the senior leadership of FEMA participated in several major discussions with the state’s emergency management directors.” “A strong partnership between states and FEMA is necessary to build and maintain a strong, competent and efficient national emergency management system.”
Risse from E&E News Politico, with permission from LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News provides the necessary news for energy and environmental professionals.
