FEMA's Evolving Role: States Step Up in Disaster Response

When Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin touched down in Chimney Rock, North Carolina in early April, he wasn't just visiting a town still piecing itself back together after Hurricane Helene. He was laying out a new vision for how America responds to disasters.

Chimney Rock was devastated in September 2024 when 22.5 inches of rain sent the Rocky Broad River surging through the mountain community, destroying roughly half of all homes and depositing a 15-foot-deep debris field in nearby Lake Lure. More than a year later, recovery is still underway. It was against that backdrop that Mullin delivered a message that signals a fundamental shift in federal emergency management: states and local governments, not FEMA, should be leading disaster response.

"We shouldn't look at FEMA as the first responder," Mullin said during the visit, his first official trip as DHS Secretary. Instead, his vision positions the federal government and FEMA specifically as a force multiplier. States and localities would take the lead, with federal resources flowing to support them rather than manage them.

The distinction matters more than it might seem. For communities battered by major disasters, the difference between a state-led and a federally led response can mean faster action, better coordination with local officials who know the terrain and the population, and fewer bureaucratic delays in getting aid to people who need it. Critics have raised questions about whether all states have the capacity and resources to shoulder a larger share of the burden, particularly smaller or lower-income states that rely more heavily on federal support after major events.

But proponents of the shift argue that local knowledge is irreplaceable. County emergency managers, state disaster agencies, and community organizations are often first on the ground and best positioned to direct recovery. The federal role, under this model, becomes one of backstop funding and technical support rather than command and control.

Mullin reassured officials during the trip that reform does not mean elimination. FEMA is not going away. The agency would continue to manage disaster declarations, administer grants, and coordinate large-scale recovery. What changes is the expectation of who leads and who follows. That conversation, playing out in real time against the backdrop of Chimney Rock's ongoing recovery, underscores just how high the stakes are for communities that live in disaster-prone areas across the country.