• FEMA halts terminations of disaster workers as massive winter storm approaches
• Agency scrambles to rehire staff fired under Trump workforce cuts
• Storm threatens 40 million Americans with blizzards, ice and potential power outages

WASHINGTON (TDR) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday abruptly halted terminations of disaster-response personnel and began emergency rehiring of workers dismissed just weeks earlier, as a massive winter storm threatened to slam 40 million Americans across the Midwest and Northeast with blizzard conditions, ice storms and potential widespread power failures.

The reversal—confirmed in an internal FEMA memorandum obtained by TDR—exposes the dangers of the Trump administration’s workforce-reduction drive, which slashed 20 % of agency staff before the first major storm of 2026.

“Effective immediately, all personnel actions are paused. Priority is life-safety mission. Former employees with disaster credentials are being contacted for immediate reactivation.”

—FEMA Deputy Administrator Cameron Hamilton, 24 Jan 2026

The Storm Threat

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The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings from Kansas to Maine, with forecasters predicting:

• 18–24 inches of snow across the Great Lakes region;
• ice accumulations of 0.5 inches from St. Louis to Pittsburgh;
• wind gusts to 50 mph creating whiteout conditions;
• potential power outages affecting 8 million homes.

The storm’s footprint covers 12 states with combined populations exceeding 100 million, stretching FEMA’s depleted workforce to breaking point.

“This is exactly the scenario we warned about. You cannot cut disaster responders and expect miracles when the snow hits.”

—Mary Comer, American Federation of Government Employees

Workforce Chaos

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Since January 6, FEMA had terminated approximately 2,400 employees under Executive Order 14158 on “reducing federal workforce,” including 800 disaster-response specialists with active deployment credentials. The cuts targeted what the administration called “non-essential” positions in training, logistics and community preparedness.

Now those same workers are receiving urgent texts and emails asking them to return—some with $5,000 emergency retention bonuses and expedited security clearances.

“They fired me Tuesday, begged me back Thursday. I said yes because people need help, but this is no way to run emergency response.”

—former FEMA logistics coordinator, reactivated Friday

State Pleas for Help

Governors from six affected states held an emergency call with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Friday morning, requesting federal generators, National Guard mobilization and pre-positioned supplies.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker told reporters:

“I asked for 500 FEMA personnel. They offered 200, many freshly rehired with no current certifications. This is playing Russian roulette with public safety.”

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, was blunter:

“Workforce cuts are one thing. Workforce cuts before a historic storm are malpractice. FEMA needs fixing, not dismantling.”

White House Defense

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted the administration “acted swiftly to correct any personnel gaps” and noted that FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center was activated to Level 1, its highest status.

“The president directed immediate action to ensure no American faces this storm without federal support. Bureaucratic adjustments do not impede mission execution.”

—Jean-Pierre, 24 Jan 2026

But internal emails show the reactivation effort was triggered only after NOAA upgraded the storm to “high impact” Thursday evening—48 hours before landfall.

Logistical Nightmare

Rehired workers must complete 24-hour recertification modules before deployment, meaning many will not reach field positions until Sunday—after the storm’s peak. Disaster Recovery Centers in threatened areas remain understaffed, with some locations operating at 40 % capacity.

FEMA’s union warns that morale has collapsed.

“You cannot terminate people, then expect loyalty when you snap your fingers. This workforce is traumatized before the first snowflake falls.”

—AFGE Council 238 President Steve Lenkart

What Happens Next

The storm is expected to intensify Saturday night, with the worst conditions Sunday into Monday. FEMA has positioned 2.3 million liters of water, 1.8 million meals and 400 generators in regional warehouses—quantities officials admit are “bare minimum” for a storm this size.

Congressional Democrats have announced hearings on “the FEMA workforce crisis” for next week. Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, ranking member on Appropriations, called for “a full accounting of how we got here.”

“Emergency management cannot be subject to political whim. Lives depend on stable, professional staffing.”

—Collins, 24 Jan 2026

Bottom Line

FEMA’s Friday scramble exposes the gap between workforce-reduction ideology and disaster-response reality. With 40 million Americans in the storm’s path and rehired workers rushing through recertification, the agency is learning the hard way that you cannot cut your way to preparedness.

If the storm kills and FEMA falters, who takes the blame—the weather or the workforce cuts?

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