$2.2B in FEMA disaster mitigation grants in limbo, GAO says

FEMA announced it was ending BRIC in April 2025, then reinstated it in March after a judge ruled the termination was unlawful.

As of March, hundreds of communities were waiting for FEMA to award over $2 billion through the program, according to the GAO.

“They have their hands full trying to get through these projects,” Currie said.

FEMA never informed its regional officers about what to tell cities and states about the canceled grants, Currie said, so local governments were left in the dark about how to proceed.

The GAO reviewed FEMA documentation, analyzed BRIC data from four grant cycles and interviewed FEMA officials and representatives from six states and six communities for the report.