County Leaders Demand Federal Disaster Resilience Overhaul
Event summary
- Pew Charitable Trusts and NACo convened county leaders in October 2025 to assess disaster resilience planning.
- County leaders consistently called for stabilized grant funding, pre-disaster planning resources, clarified interagency roles, and streamlined assistance delivery.
- Rising federal disaster declaration thresholds threaten to shift recovery costs onto counties and municipalities.
- Delays in the Emergency Management Performance Grant program jeopardize staffing and continuity within county emergency management departments.
The big picture
The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are straining existing disaster response and recovery systems, highlighting a critical mismatch between federal funding mechanisms and the needs of local communities. County leaders are effectively acting as a de facto feedback loop, articulating the operational realities that policymakers often overlook. This pressure will likely force a reassessment of federal disaster relief programs and the balance of power between federal, state, and local governments.
What we're watching
- Funding Stability
- The ability of states and the federal government to stabilize disaster resilience funding will directly impact counties' capacity to prepare for and recover from increasingly frequent and severe weather events.
- Interagency Coordination
- FEMA's role in disaster management will likely face scrutiny as counties advocate for clearer delineation of responsibilities and reduced duplication of effort across agencies.
- Local Autonomy
- The extent to which states and the federal government respect local operational control during disaster response will determine the effectiveness of resilience efforts and the long-term financial health of counties.