Tornadoes: Agencies Promote Resilience but Actions Needed to Improve Access to FEMA Assistance
Fast Facts
Tornadoes claim more lives annually in the U.S. than hurricanes and earthquakes combined. The Federal Emergency Management Agency helps tornado survivors and communities through a variety of programs.
By law, only states and territories are eligible to receive Emergency Management Performance Grant awards directly from FEMA. States may distribute these grant awards to local governments and Tribes. However, Tribes aren't eligible to apply directly.
As a result, Tribes cannot easily access assistance that may help them plan and prepare for disasters, including tornadoes. Our recommendations address this and other resource access issues.
Tornado Damage to a Home
Highlights
Why This Matters
Tornadoes claim more lives annually in the U.S. than hurricanes and earthquakes combined. In 2024, there were more than 2,100 tornadoes in the U.S., the highest annual total on record dating back to 1950. FEMA helps tornado survivors and communities through a variety of programs.
GAO Key Takeaways
The President approved 94 major disaster declarations involving tornadoes, in fiscal years 2019 through 2024. For those disasters, FEMA has obligated $2.8 billion for Public Assistance and the Individuals and Households Program, as of December 2024.
FEMA also assists tribal, state, local, and territorial governments through its Emergency Management Performance Grant program. This program is the primary source of federal support for developing and maintaining emergency management expertise. It pays for salaries and provides resources related to hazard preparation.
Per statute, only states and territories are eligible to receive Emergency Management Performance Grant awards directly from FEMA; Tribes are not eligible to apply directly. States may distribute grant awards to local governments and Tribes.
From fiscal years 2014 through 2023, 17 states did not distribute any awards to Tribes within their state.
When communities cannot access assistance to build emergency management capacity, it could mean not being able to plan and prepare for a disaster, such as a tornado.
In April 2023, FEMA submitted a legislative proposal to Congress outlining several possible solutions that would enable tribes to more easily access this funding. Congress has not yet acted on FEMA’s legislative proposal, as of August 2025.
A Home in Nebraska Damaged by A Tornado in April 2024
How GAO Did This Study
We analyzed FEMA data on tornado disasters from 2019 through 2024. We also visited four states, and interviewed emergency management officials from seven counties and two Tribes impacted by tornadoes during that span.
Recommendations
We are recommending that Congress consider creating a new program or amending an existing program to provide grants directly to tribal governments to build emergency management capacity. We are also making three recommendations to FEMA to improve access to assistance.
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should consider amending an existing program or creating a new program to provide grants directly to tribal governments for building emergency management capacity. In taking such action, Congress could find helpful GAO's prior work identifying program characteristics that can create barriers to tribal participation in federal programs. (Matter for Consideration 1) | As of February 2026, no action has been taken on this matter. As a result, we will continue to monitor the status. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The FEMA Administrator should identify Tribal Nations' needs for emergency management capacity building, including the extent to which any identified needs are being met. After completing the study, the FEMA Administrator should outline steps the agency plans to take, with timeframes, to address any findings. (Recommendation 1) |
In June 2025, DHS concurred with our recommendation and stated that FEMA's National Preparedness Directorate (NPD), in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory and partner emergency management associations, is currently conducting the "Emergency Management Organizational Structures, Staffing, and Capacity Study." This study, launched in August 2024, is intended to provide a comprehensive picture of state, local, territorial, and Tribal Nation emergency management organizations across the nation, the needs they face, their structures and staffing levels, funding sources, top challenges, and how staff time is focused across the spectrum of emergency management activities. Insights related to Tribal Nations are anticipated to be available by the end of January 2026. Once complete, the NPD will outline steps the agency plans to take, with timeframes, to address any findings as appropriate. As of February 2026, GAO is awaiting the results and actions taken based on the study and will continue to monitor the status.
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| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The FEMA Administrator, in coordination with the Small State and Rural Advocate, should identify and implement ways to improve flexibility in Public Assistance program guidance for small states and rural communities. (Recommendation 2) |
DHS concurred with our recommendation and stated that FEMA's Public Assistance (PA) Division, in coordination with the Small State and Rural Advocate, will review current PA guidance and identify targeted flexibilities that address the unique capacity constraints and geographic isolation of small states and rural communities. This effort will include evaluating streamlined processes, simplified documentation requirements, and scalable thresholds for PA eligibility and project formulation to ensure effective and timely disaster recovery support. FEMA plans to implement any changes by the Fall of 2026. Accordingly, we will continue to monitor the status of their efforts.
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| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The FEMA Administrator should identify and implement strategies to ensure Public Assistance Program Delivery Managers are knowledgeable of program policies and consistently apply them when providing support to Tribes, states, and localities. (Recommendation 3) |
DHS concurred with our recommendation and stated that FEMA's PA Division will take the further following action to ensure Program Delivery Managers (PDMG) are knowledgeable of program policies: These planned actions include: updating and promulgating the PDMG Position Task Book to include four new tasks that emphasize the critical importance of complete and concise documentation, as well as the implementation of strategically planned transition reporting prior to demobilization; and updating the PA PDMG Job Aid to include the Project Development Plan Template by the Winter of 2026. Accordingly, we are monitoring the status of the aforementioned actions.
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