Placerville, Calif., and many communities across the country face growing wildfire risk from dense brush, older wooden homes and steep hillsides. Local officials in El Dorado County have been preparing for years to enroll more than 500 homes in a pilot program that helps residents retrofit houses with fire-resistant materials and clear flammable vegetation. The program, largely funded by FEMA, would offer homeowners up to $40,000 for work; the county’s $25 million Weber Creek Project was approved by FEMA in 2023. But the project has been stalled for more than a year because FEMA has not approved required environmental reviews or disbursed funds.
Placerville’s situation is one of hundreds affected by a backlog at FEMA that states say has slowed disaster payments under the Trump administration, delaying repairs and mitigation projects that help communities withstand wildfires, hurricanes and floods. Internal FEMA documents obtained by NPR show the agency owes communities almost $10 billion; other internal data put the public assistance backlog above $14 billion before FEMA released more than $5 billion in late February. Much of the money would reimburse local governments for rebuilding infrastructure after major disasters.
Local emergency managers say the backlog is straining budgets and threatening projects that took years to plan. “We’re just at a standstill and we’re all very, very frustrated,” says Pam Bates, project manager for the Shasta County Fire Safe Council, which is waiting on FEMA approval for a project to improve about 500 homes. Plumas County awaits $2.5 million to clear flammable vegetation, and Shasta’s FEMA grant could expire in August without an extension.
The logjam coincides with a June decision by then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to require DHS review of all grants over $100,000 for potential “waste, fraud, and abuse,” including FEMA awards. A Senate Democrats’ report found the extra review significantly slowed disaster aid. Noem was fired by Trump in March; her successor, Markwayne Mullin, revoked the review policy earlier this month, but most funding has not yet been released.
FEMA did not comment to NPR on the slowdown or the amount owed to states. The agency has also lost thousands of employees since Trump took office, and recent government shutdowns further strained capacity. Trump has suggested FEMA be eliminated or sharply reduced, shifting more responsibility to states, and he appointed a FEMA Review Council that may recommend further staff reductions. The administration also canceled the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program, citing concerns about climate-focused projects and inefficiencies; a judge has ordered the program reinstated, but FEMA has not said when cancelled funds might be restored.
On the ground in Placerville, residents like Adele Montgomery have taken steps to create defensible space and make homes safer, but key retrofit work—such as replacing an aging wooden deck and adding fire-resistant flashing—depends on the county’s program moving forward. County wildfire resilience officer Tanya Harlow and others stress that neighborhood-level participation is critical: “Real resilience really is at the community level,” Harlow says. If most homes participate, neighborhoods are less likely to burn.
Researchers and policy experts note that investing in mitigation before disasters strikes saves money long-term by preventing damage and reducing costly rebuilds. Andrew Rumbach of the Urban Institute says delayed federal funding forces state and local governments to take emergency financial measures that can crowd out other important programs. At a congressional hearing, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said communities were “hurting” from delayed recovery funds and questioned whether the administration’s policies were lawful.
NPR confirmed FEMA internal data with several states awaiting funds. FEMA reports show funding disbursal slowed beginning in June of last year. The agency’s staffing cuts, policy changes, and additional DHS reviews are cited by states as driving the slowdown, even though some policies have since been reversed.
The backlog affects both mitigation grants—like the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program—and the Public Assistance Program, which reimburses states for repairing major infrastructure such as roads, bridges and water treatment plants. Because communities often must pay project costs up front and wait for reimbursement, delayed payments create cash-flow problems and can derail preparedness efforts.
Local officials say the delays undermine community outreach and preparedness efforts: “We’re educating our communities on the importance of this, but then there’s no resources for them,” Harlow says. As climate change intensifies storms, wildfires and heavier rainfall, experts warn that stopping or delaying federal investment in mitigation will leave communities repeatedly vulnerable and increase long-term costs.
Have information about changes at FEMA? Reach out to this reporter through encrypted communications on Signal at sommer.55