TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — As federal officials weigh changes to FEMA, some storm survivors across Tampa Bay are watching closely.
Barb Adams, a Treasure Island resident, knows the stakes firsthand. When Hurricane Helene’s storm surge hit her home, it destroyed much of it, flipped her appliances and left her life upside-down.
WATCH: Report on FEMA's future will focus on streamlining, not eliminating agency
“Oh, everything was upside-down,” Adams said. “It just — it was awful.”
After initially doubting the agency could help, Adams applied for FEMA assistance.
The agency provided her safe temporary housing for months, including a three month stay at the Bilmar, which was just a short drive from Adams’ battered home.
The agency, now under scrutiny, has been the subject of debate from President Donald Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, both of whom have questioned its size and floated eliminating it.
According to a Truth Social post from April, the president described FEMA as a “terribly broken system” and said power should return to state emergency managers.
During a May appearance in Sarasota, Kevin Guthrie, the executive director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, reassured residents that the state’s response would remain strong.
“What does it mean to be more locally and state run in emergency management?” he said. “In Florida, it means nothing.”
Guthrie, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and other officials were appointed by President Trump to serve on the FEMA Review Council. On Thursday afternoon, the council will release its final report with recommendations for FEMA’s future.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, the report is expected to address challenges in disaster assistance, including complex eligibility rules and reimbursement delays, the potential use of block grants to speed aid to states and whether FEMA should remain part of DHS or become independent.
A source familiar with the review tells Tampa Bay 28 the council is not expected to call for dissolving FEMA. Instead, it is expected to recommend streamlining operations, cutting red tape and getting money to disaster survivors faster.
For Adams, cutting red tape is welcome, but she hopes FEMA’s support remains robust. Without the temporary housing, Adams doesn’t know what she would have done.
“We probably would have basically camped in the house,” she said.
The FEMA Review Council’s report will be released publicly, with a comment period to follow. Tampa Bay 28 will provide updates and reactions from Florida officials as they become available.
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