Extreme Weather Survivors Outraged Over The Federal Government's Plan to Abandon States

Survivor network calls on state and local leaders and anyone running for office to stand up for extreme weather survivors and ensure communities have the resources needed to recover.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Extreme Weather Survivors (EWS), a nationwide network of Americans living through increasingly devastating wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and extreme heat, is calling on state and local leaders to stand up for extreme weather survivors and ensure communities have the resources needed to recover. 

According to a leaked FEMA memo, agency leaders are leaving states to prepare to manage most disasters with almost no federal help. Communities in Texas are already feeling the consequences of limited federal and state support, as FEMA recently denied a request for individual assistance following the July 2026 Hill Country floods. While this is only one example of the harm caused when federal assistance falls short, it illustrates the abandonment that communities nationwide will face because of this change. 

“When you witness your neighbors mucking out mud from their living rooms for the second time in two years, you quickly realize that the only thing keeping people going is the community support,” said Kylie Nidever, a Texas flood survivor. “Here in the Texas Hill Country, we pride ourselves on taking care of our own, working hard, and pride for our state and country. We held up our end of the bargain, trusting that if a historic, catastrophic disaster floods our neighborhoods, the government system we’ve paid into our entire lives would actually be there to help us stand back up. To have FEMA turn around now and basically say, ‘this one and all future one's are on you,' feels like a betrayal to flood survivors. It’s a punch to the gut, and it makes absolutely no sense. Where is our government when we actually need them?"

“Americans pay taxes with the understanding that our government will show up to help us recover when disaster strikes,” said Sierra Lindsey Kos, co-founder of Extreme Weather Survivors. “This leaked memo makes clear that, as more Americans are being devastated by extreme weather, the federal government is preparing to fully abandon them in the process.” 

 EWS is committed to ensuring that every American harmed by these decisions is heard. Reporters covering this story can speak with members of our nationwide survivor network about recovery, barriers to federal assistance, and what this support means for communities still rebuilding.