FEMA Acting Administrator Says Agency Ready for 2026 Hurricane Season

FEMA acting administrator Bob Fenton said the agency is prepared for the 2026 hurricane season that begins June 1. He spoke during a rehearsal exercise called "Silent Echo" held at FEMA headquarters in Washington. Fenton told CBS News the agency now has slightly more than 30 percent of its disaster workforce available for deployment.

He described that range as normal availability and said another 30 percent of staff are currently deployed.

Fenton acknowledged the agency is still recovering from more than 100 days of partial government shutdown this year. The shutdown reduced the Disaster Relief Fund below $3 billion and delayed grant payments to state and local governments. FEMA has since received additional funding from Congress and restarted payments for past disasters.

Fenton said the agency has distributed roughly $875 million in grants for FIFA World Cup preparations that had been delayed.

A May 14 letter from House Homeland Security Committee Democrats stated FEMA has lost more than 5,000 employees since January 2025. Fenton said the agency is now hiring and recently brought back about 200 disaster-response employees. Fenton also said the HURREVAC hurricane-evacuation planning tool will be tested Monday with NOAA and the National Hurricane Center.

He said the system is ready for use by state and local emergency managers.