FEMA says operations will continue as normal during shutdown
Hard-hit Western North Carolina can't afford more delays in FEMA reimbursements.
Cory Vaillancourt photo
As Western North Carolina settles in for what could become a protracted federal government shutdown, a Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson tells The Smoky Mountain News the agency’s disaster response operations remain fully funded and active, with payments to survivors, debris removal and other essential recovery work continuing uninterrupted.
“The Federal Emergency Management Agency remains fully prepared and capable of responding to natural disasters, even amidst the current government shutdown,” said a spokesperson with direct knowledge of the matter. “As outlined in the Department of Homeland Security procedures, FEMA will continue to conduct essential activities deemed necessary for the safety of human life or protection of property. These activities include critical functions such as payments to disaster survivors, debris removal, emergency protective measures and salaries for our disaster workforce.”
More than a year after Hurricane Helene devastated the region, residents have expressed growing frustration over the slow pace of recovery funding from the federal government and remain concerned about the seeming lack of engagement by President Donald Trump’s “recovery czar,” Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley.
FEMA’s coordinating officers and on-call staff, paid through the agency’s Disaster Relief Fund, will keep working, with field teams continuing recovery efforts and funding directed first toward debris removal and urgent protective measures.
According to FEMA contingency plans filed with the Office of Management and Budget, FEMA had 24,925 employees as of May 31. The plans stipulate that 20,975 FEMA employees are exempt from furlough and will be retained during a lapse in appropriations.
Federal law requires FEMA’s Administrator to submit a monthly Disaster Relief Fund report to Congress, outlining current balances, spending by state and disaster, major event costs and projections for when the fund could run out. The DRF is FEMA’s primary account for financing federal disaster response and recovery under the Stafford Act, covering both direct federal efforts and support for states, tribes, territories and local governments. It pays for emergency protective measures, debris removal, infrastructure repair, hazard mitigation projects, survivor assistance and fire management grants for major wildfires.
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According to the latest report, the DRF had about $62 billion in total budget authority for fiscal year 2025 in regular appropriations, a $29 billion supplemental appropriation and carryover from prior years. After set-asides and obligations, the fund’s remaining balance as of Aug. 31, 2025, was about $10.1 billion. FEMA projects the DRF would close fiscal 2025 on Sept. 30 with roughly $2.3 billion available. Obligations for Hurricane Helene alone topped $11.3 billion, spread across North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia.
The next DRF report is expected in the coming days, but will only show data through September, prior to the shutdown. In early November, the next DRF report could shed light on whether the estimated 2,300 North Carolina FEMA projects are still moving through the pipeline.
As of 10 a.m. on Oct. 1, FEMA’s government and nonprofit grants portal appeared to be operating as normal, as did the individual portal, disasterassistance.gov.
The spokesperson also said the agency was “deeply disappointed” that “left-wing politicians” are attempting to exploit the government shutdown for political gain; however, Republicans in control of Congress pushed a “clean” spending bill that excluded needed health and social protections, then refused to advance any compromise that included Democratic priorities — essentially making the shutdown a negotiating gambit.
Many Republicans also tied passage to policy demands, like cuts or rescissions unrelated to funding the government, blocking agreement even as the deadline loomed.
Despite their minority status in Congress, Democrats aren’t blameless, either — they’ve rejected Republican proposals without offering a fully viable alternative or engaging in more flexibility, which some critics argue slows down the path to compromise. They also permitted internal divisions to delay or weaken coordinated counteroffers at critical moments, limiting their negotiating leverage.
This is a developing story. Check back with The Smoky Mountain News for critical updates on the shutdown, including economic impacts to the region, as the situation progresses.
