SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Savannah’s mayor reacted to President Donald Trump’s plans to “phase out” the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Tuesday.

Parts of our area were hit hard by Hurricane Helene last fall. Trees were down on homes, and the power was out for days. Responding to natural disasters could look a lot different after this hurricane season if President Trump phases out FEMA.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson called this is an ill-advised decision, and he hopes the president doesn’t go through with it.

“We recognize very clearly that states cannot handle these incidents. You need a coordinated federal response to address tragedies as they occur,” Johnson said. “We know when we have limited resources in states, the federal government has the ability to move resources from some states to other states.”

If FEMA goes away, states would have to bear more of the cost when responding to natural disasters. Mayors in other states, like Tennessee, said this could be beneficial depending on how it’s structure. Johnson disagrees.

“We’ve had several cities devastated, and state resources are depleted quickly. FEMA has been a wonderful way for us to be able to keep our eyes on the ball,” Johnson said.

FEMA has a $30 billion budget and before layoffs earlier this year, employed over 20,000 people.

The announcement comes just a few weeks after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted that this year’s hurricane season would be above normal, with as many as 10 hurricanes.