Trump Just Eliminated the FEMA Panel that Gives National Flood Map Updates

In January as Donald Trump started his second term as president, he launched a widespread attack by executive order to eliminate various environment-related boards, panels, and programs.

Case in point: His orders disbanded all advisory committees with the Department of Homeland Security. Among those eliminated was a key panel within FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). The FEMA Technical Mapping Advisory Committee guided national flood map updates. It was almost finished with its work compiling update recommendations from 2024 flood events when it was disbanded. As a result, the panel never published their 2025 report. 

Recent Flooding Events

The 2024 storm season, including Hurricane Helene, made it clear just how badly FEMA’s flood maps need updates. A report released earlier this summer by researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill shows that nearly 43% of buildings that flooded in North Carolina between 1996 and 2020 were located outside of areas that FEMA maps showed as at high risk for flooding. 

Antonia Sebastian, an assistant professor and flood risk researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said the 43% figure is consistent with national trends, where about one-third of flood damages, and often more, occur outside of FEMA-designated flood zones. Coastal areas (where hotter ocean waters are driving wetter and more frequent storms) often see even higher percentages of damage occurring outside the FEMA-designated high-risk zones. 

A Demonstrated Need For Flood Mapping

The landfall of tropical depression Chantal in central North Carolina this summer was another supposed “thousand-year” storm, based on data now outdated by climate change. It also marked an unusually early and strong start to the hurricane season in this state. Wiser decisions about building or rebuilding in flood-prone areas could reduce property damage, lower insurance costs, and save lives. However, sending the right signals on risk requires accurate flood zone maps.

Tragically, making accurate maps just became harder because of Trump’s decision. Eliminating the expert technical advisory panel responsible for compiling update recommendations means out of date flood maps and higher risks to our communities.

We must hold those in office in Washington accountable to do better.