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ABOUT SEVERE WEATHER WITH THIS ROUND OF STORMS, BUT WHEN WE DO SEE STORM DAMAGE FROM THINGS LIKE HURRICANES, FEMA IS TYPICALLY THERE TO HELP. BUT SOON THAT COULD BE GOING AWAY. THIS WEEK, PRESIDENT TRUMP ANNOUNCED HIS PLANS TO PHASE FEMA OUT AFTER THIS YEAR’S HURRICANE SEASON. HE SAYS HE WANTS TO BRING IT DOWN TO THE STATE LEVEL. WELL, IT’S NOT GOING TO BE SO MUCH THE STATES. WE’RE GOING TO GIVE OUT LESS MONEY. WE’RE GOING TO GIVE IT OUT DIRECTLY. IT WILL BE FROM THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE. WE’LL HAVE SOMEBODY HERE COULD BE HOMELAND SECURITY, BUT WE’RE GOING TO GIVE IT OUT THROUGH A METHOD. PLANS TO ELIMINATE FEMA HAVE BAFFLED SOME FEDERAL AND STATE EMERGENCY MANAGERS. ��������13’S AARON LLEWELLYN JOINS US LIVE IN LOCAL TONIGHT. AARON, YOU SPOKE WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES TODAY ABOUT HOW THIS COULD AFFECT THEM. YEAH. GUYS. SHERRI, EARLIER TODAY I TALKED TO CHRIS TAY WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. AND HE TELLS ME THAT RIGHT NOW IT IS HARD TO TELL HOW TRUMP’S PLAN COULD IMPACT HIM AND HIS DEPARTMENT’S OPERATIONS. BUT HE DID TELL ME THAT LOCAL EMAS RELY ON THESE FEDERAL DOLLARS. SO IF FEMA IS CUT, IT COULD MAKE A HUGE IMPACT. NOW, TATE TELLS ME THAT THE LOCAL EMAS RELY ON FEDERAL GRANTS TO PAY STAFF AND OPERATE. THOSE FUNDS ALSO HELP PAY FOR TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT, WHICH HE FEELS ARE NECESSARY TO HIS TEAM. BEING READY TO RESPOND TO THOSE IN NEED. FEMA GIVES THOSE AFFECTED BY DISASTER $38,000 TO HELP WITH REBUILDING. BUT TATE SAYS THAT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, THAT’S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY. HE SAYS THAT FEMA GOES AWAY. MOST PEOPLE WILL STILL HAVE TO RELY ON LOCAL RESOURCES WHEN DISASTER STRIKES. THE DISASTERS THAT OCCUR ALWAYS START LOCALLY AND THEY ALWAYS END LOCALLY. AND SO IT’S US AND IT’S THE FIRST RESPONDERS IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY AND YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS. THE PUBLIC UTILITIES FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING TO THE RESCUE, CERTAINLY IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF HOURS, DAYS AFTER A DISASTER OCCURS. SO YOU’RE STILL GOING TO HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF RESPONSE. NOW, YOU HEARD FROM TRUMP EARLIER ABOUT HOW HE WOULD GET THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS TO THE LOCAL LEVEL AND THE STATE LEVEL. AGAIN, TATE SAYS THAT IF THAT DOES HAPPEN, THEN GETTING THOSE THAT MONEY TO THE STATES COULD BE MUCH EASIER BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE AFFECTED BY DISASTER GET THAT MONEY DIRECTLY, AND IT WOULD MAKE AN EVEN GREATER IMPACT. LIVE HERE I