Following significant budget cuts and staff reductions at FEMA in 2025, disaster declaration processing times doubled in the fourth quarter. According to Shana Udvardy, Senior Analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists' Climate and Energy Program, the reason is straightforward: fewer people processing the same volume of applications creates bottlenecks that cascade through the system. The delays are particularly concerning because they compound during the exact periods when disaster victims need help most.
"When Hurricane Helene hit our farm in western North Carolina, we lost everything—the crops, the equipment, part of the barn. We filed for disaster assistance right away, but we've been waiting months now. The delays just keep piling up, and meanwhile we're trying to figure out how to survive the winter and plant next season."
— Justin Rhodes, western North Carolina farmer