Reopen the Government—and Refill Disaster Aid—Before Winter Hits
The United States caught a lucky break this fall. For the first time in a decade, the U.S. reached the end of September without a single hurricane making landfall as a hurricane on the mainland: a rare reprieve noted by AccuWeather and reported by outlets tracking this “quiet” landfall year. Luck isn’t a strategy, and the Atlantic season runs through November. Winter hazards are next.
Meanwhile, the money that keeps disaster response running is running out. As Carrier Management reported on October 24, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) has fallen to “critical” levels amid the ongoing shutdown - about 8.4 billion for existing major disasters and only ~ 1.1 billion for unforeseen events - forcing triage that delays long‑term recovery and even threatens basic survivor services if balances dip further. Congress must reopen the government and plus‑up the DRF immediately.
The need is unmistakable. Climate Central reports 14 separate billion‑dollar U.S. disasters in the first half of 2025, totaling $101.4 billion, the costliest first six months on record.
We’ve also severely hobbled our flood safety net. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) lapsed on October 1. During a lapse, FEMA can’t issue new policies or renewals, choking real‑estate deals that require flood coverage. The National Association of Realtors estimates roughly 1,300 sales per day, about 40,000 per month, are affected. Congress should reauthorize NFIP without further gaps.
And the calendar isn’t on our side. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center and multiple analyses confirm La Niña has returned, a setup that often tilts winter toward wetter, stormier conditions in the Northwest and increases volatility across the northern tier. A threadbare DRF is a bad match for a busy cold season.
Congress knows this playbook. Past shortfalls have been bridged on a bipartisan basis and the path forward is rather straightforward:
Pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government and immediately replenish the DRF to a safe operating level, as urged in the Carrier Management analysis.
Reauthorize NFIP so homebuyers can close and at‑risk communities can maintain coverage while broader reforms are debated.
We were fortunate this hurricane season. However, that fortune will not shovel snow, restore power, or process aid when winter systems knock out communities. Reopen the government. Refill the DRF. Reauthorize NFIP. Preparedness is cheaper - and more humane - than regret.