As Trump cuts FEMA, Florida says it will take care of residents
Kevin Guthrie, the executive director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management, said it's not about money. Even if FEMA cuts the amount of cash it pays out to a state after a disaster, he stressed that state leaders 'have never, ever made decisions based on whether we're going to get reimbursed by the federal government.'
'You go out to protect life, safety. You go out to stabilize scenes. You go out to protect the environment. That is what we have been doing for decades inside Florida,' he said. 'That's what we're going to continue to do for the coming decades ahead.'
READ MORE: Florida says it's ready for hurricane season, with or without FEMA's help
Florida was smacked with two devastating storms last year, and forecasters say the upcoming hurricane season, which starts June 1, is set to be another active season. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, raising global temperatures that in turn lead to stronger, wetter and more deadly hurricanes.
At a press conference Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Guthrie said the state was fully prepared for the season — even if FEMA might not be.
The agency is down more than 2,000 employees and a dozen senior leaders this year, as President Donald Trump pushes his new vision for the beleaguered agency. Part of that change involves shifting more responsibility — and costs — for disaster cleanup to the states. Already, FEMA has begun to act on that mission. Last week, the agency denied North Carolina's request to keep covering the entire tab for Hurricane Helene recovery. Instead, FEMA will continue helping with 75% of the costs, the bare minimum required.
And yet, Guthrie said, Florida is prepared to accept the president's new vision for the agency, with the federal government still picking up the tab. It's unclear if Florida's annual budget includes more cash for storm recovery, as the legislature and governor have not yet agreed on one.
Gov. Ron DeSantis asked Guthrie, as a member of the federal FEMA review council, to push FEMA to shift more of its state assistance to block grants that states like Florida can spend directly.
Guthrie said the state is even considering preparing for the 'challenge' of directly giving cash to survivors after a disaster, a FEMA program known as individual assistance.
'We are already having these conversations about if the federal government allows us to run an individual assistance program, we're ready to get that done,' he said. 'We believe we can do it just as fast, if not faster than the federal government.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Politico
2 days ago
- Politico
Newsom to tour South Carolina next week in potential 2028 preview
The California governor will speak to Southern voters in an early sneak peek into a possible presidential bid. California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference on April 16, 2025, in Ceres, California. |By Jacob Wendler 07/03/2025 01:23 PM EDT California Gov. Gavin Newsom will meet with voters across South Carolina in a two-day trip through the state next week, further fueling speculation that the Democratic governor is preparing for a 2028 presidential run. The South Carolina Democratic Party — which announced the trip Thursday — is marketing the series of meet-and-greets as an opportunity for the governor to meet with communities impacted by natural disasters and 'speak to the urgent need for federal support and investment' in the wake of Hurricane Helene and the Los Angeles wildfires. Newsom traveled to the state in January 2024 to stump for former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the run-up to the presidential election. He received a lukewarm reception from some voters skeptical of his liberal reputation, POLITICO reported at the time.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Citing 'capacity,' DeSantis says Camp Blanding can be state's next 'Alligator Alcatraz'
The Florida National Guard's training facility at Camp Blanding is in line to become a temporary detention facility for immigrants detained in nationwide enforcement sweeps, Gov. Ron DeSantis said June 25 during a visit to Tampa. 'We have some capacity there,' DeSantis said of the sprawling Guard property southwest of Jacksonville in Clay County countryside near Starke. DeSantis raised the idea of using Camp Blanding while discussing plans for a Southwest Florida facility nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz to be built at a disused airfield in the Everglades, saying the federal Department of Homeland Security would benefit by having somewhere besides local jails to hold people for immigration processing. More: Immigration raid in Florida capital leaves families searching for loved ones – and answers 'We can't have every illegal housed in our jails because we have non-illegals who need to be housed there,' the governor said. So, 'Alligator Alcatraz it is, and so you will see that be done,' DeSantis said. '… It will be a force multiplier. It will help DHS. It will help our state and local law enforcement with relieving some burden on resources. We'll probably also do something similar up in Camp Blanding.' The governor offered no details but said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the state's Division of Emergency Management, was 'working on that. So, we'll have a formal announcement on both of those [locations] very, very quickly.' While circumstances are different, this wouldn't be the first time Camp Blanding has been used to house non-Americans. During World War II, German civilians who were detained in Latin America as enemy aliens were moved to the camp in the summer of 1942 and the property later became a camp for German prisoners of war, the Florida Historical Quarterly recounted in 1979. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Camp Blanding could be state's next 'Alligator Alcaraz,' DeSantis says
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Buzz Feed
The "Alligator Alcatraz" Detention Center Is Flooding
On July 1, President Trump toured Florida's new immigration detention camp, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," located in the Florida Everglades. Along with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a press conference, they touted how quickly the facility was set up: in just under eight days. (If you, too, are squinting trying to read President Trump's hat, I zoomed in on it — and it says "GULF OF AMERICA: Yet Another TRUMP Development.") For a little background, Governor DeSantis used an emergency order to seize the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport area from Miami-Dade County, and CBS reports that it was paid for by funds from "FEMA's shelter and services program, an initiative created by Congress to support groups and cities receiving migrants and asylum-seekers released from federal custody along the U.S.-Mexico border." According to CBS, the "facility will have up to several thousand beds to house, process and deport individuals who were in the country illegally."Environmental groups have already filed suit to stop the detention center from opening until a full environmental review has been completed. Well, it looks like all that speedy building may have resulted in some less-than-ideal conditions. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat congressperson representing Florida's 42nd district, shared a video on TikTok illustrating what the place looks like already: A summer rainstorm during the press conference caused water to seep underneath the tent and onto the floors (around a bunch of electrical cords, no less). Anna said in a caption on the video, "Flooding already happening at the Trump/DeSantis interment camp in the Everglades that is costing us more than $450M. Not only is this an environmental disaster, but it is inhumane & not even close to being safe! We do NOT need this! Imagine if this time and money went into affordable housing instead." Here's even more water, pooling in front of the door. Unsurprisingly, commenters did not hold anything back. "Let the weather and incompetence do the job before anyone is sent there." "they always seem to have money to hurt people. but money for public transit, or schools, or community health care? sorry we're broke." "Imagine building something in a swamp and expecting it not to flood." "Can you imagine what would happen in a hurricane?" The video also made its way over to Twitter (X), where people continued to share their thoughts. "The flooding at 'Alligator Alcatraz' is a glaring example of the systemic neglect and human rights violations inherent in migrant detention centers." "Aren't there STANDARDS for what constitutes a 'detention center'?" "'We finished it in one week'. This is what you get when you do things half-assed. Just like the policies..." Regarding the rainfall in the area, the local Naples Daily News reported that it gets around 60 inches of rain per year. And prior to the flooding, State Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie told them that "the untested site constructed in eight days can withstand Category 2 winds of 110 mph, significantly less than the three major storms that impacted Southwest Florida the past three years." However, the National Park Service says that the "Everglades National Park lies within one of the most active hurricane areas of the United States." The Miami Herald also reported in late June that "In the event of a hurricane, Division of Emergency Management officials [said] that detainees and staff would be evacuated from the site. The agency added that it is developing a disaster plan." After yesterday's rainstorm, the Tampa Bay Times reported that Stephanie Hartman, the deputy director of communications for the Division of Emergency Management, said the issues had been resolved. 'Overnight, the vendors went back and tightened any seams at the base of the structures that allowed water intrusion during the heavy storm, which was minimal.'
