Hurricane Season

Hurricane Approaching – Trump’s Budget Cuts Put to the Test

Hurricane Isaias is expected to hit the US coast, and states such as Florida and Alabama are mobilizing emergency response teams. Experts tell *The Guardian* that Isaias could put the disaster management agency FEMA to the test following the Trump administration's budget cuts to the agency.

More than 4,300 FEMA employees—representing about 17 percent of the workforce—left the agency in 2025. Many were senior staff with significant responsibilities and extensive experience.

FEMA may struggle to deploy sufficient personnel to disaster-stricken areas—especially if additional hurricanes strike the US coast in the coming weeks. This is according to Chris Currie of the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

"FEMA struggled to bring in the right number of people with the right qualifications even before the cuts," he says.

Hurricane Isaias Expected to Reach US Coast – First in Two Years

Hurricane Isaias, classified as a Category 3 storm, is expected to reach the coast near the border of Florida and Alabama this evening, local time, CNN reports.

If it does, it will be the first hurricane to make landfall on the US mainland in two years.

Wind speeds associated with Isaias have been measured at approximately 50 meters per second. Airports in Florida have closed due to the storm, and evacuation orders have been issued along the coast where Isaias is expected to make landfall.