FEMA losing roughly 20% of permanent staff, including longtime leaders, ahead of hurricane season

The agency tasked with delivering billions of dollars in assistance to communities devasted by natural disasters is about to lose a huge portion of its workforce, including some of its most experienced and knowledgeable leaders who manage disaster response.

The agency tasked with delivering billions of dollars in assistance to communities devastated by natural disasters is about to lose a huge portion of its workforce, including some of its most experienced and knowledgeable leaders who manage disaster response. With hurricane season just weeks away, about 20% of FEMA’s permanent full-time staff – roughly 1,000 workers – are expected to take a voluntary buyout as part of the latest staff reduction effort from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, according to several sources briefed on the looming departures. FEMA leaders responsible for response plans, operations and disaster recovery are among a long list of top brass exiting the agency, multiple sources told CNN. CNN has reached out to FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security about the departures. “Whether or not the positions are frozen, it’s likely to be a significant brain drain, which impedes our ability to respond,” a FEMA official, speaking anonymously out of fear of retribution, told CNN. The 1,000 or so workers have accepted recent DOGE-led offers for deferred resignation or early retirement, sources told CNN, amid mounting tension and turmoil at the disaster relief agency.