FEMA's New Email Requirement for Disaster Aid: Implications and Concerns

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has recently implemented a significant policy change. Now, disaster survivors are required to register for federal aid using an email address, a departure from the previous policy where email registration was optional. FEMA employees have informed WIRED that this shift puts Americans with limited or no access to internet services at risk of being deprived of crucial federal financial assistance in the aftermath of disasters.

Policy Rationale and Implementation

In an internal operational update document obtained by WIRED, FEMA states that these new requirements are "an important step in preparing for the transition to digital payment methods and enhancing communication with survivors throughout the application process." The changes are intended to support an executive order signed in March, which aims to discontinue federal paper - based payments. According to the document, these changes became effective on August 12.

Surprise Among Ground Staff and Early Issues

The rollout of this new policy last week seemingly caught on - the - ground staff off - guard. They found themselves unable to register individuals for aid who did not possess an email address. Two FEMA workers, assisting disaster survivors in Missouri and Tennessee, informed WIRED that the new policy has already created problems. These workers spoke to WIRED on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to communicate with the press.

One worker recounted witnessing a colleague turn away a survivor who lacked an email address and could not be signed up for aid. The colleague, instead, provided instructions for the person to create a Hotmail email address. "You could tell this person was not going to be able to figure it out," the worker said.

Agency's Justification: Online Application Prevalence

The internal update document indicates that over 80 percent of survivors already apply for federal aid online. The agency contends that this move will enable it to communicate more effectively with survivors via online accounts. Such accounts, the document states, "remain the most effective way for survivors to stay informed about their application status, receive timely updates, and access critical information." However, FEMA did not respond to WIRED's request for comment.

Internet Access Disparities in the US

In 2022, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency that advises the president on telecoms and information policy, reported that one - fifth of American households had no home internet access. While the majority of offline households expressed no desire to be online, nearly 20 percent cited affordability as a barrier. NTIA data further reveals that offline households are more likely to have an annual income of less than $25,000 and are more likely to be racial and ethnic minorities. NTIA data from November 2023 shows that nearly 17 percent of households in Missouri and 20 percent of households in Tennessee (the two states where FEMA workers spoke to WIRED) had no home internet use at all.

FEMA's FAQ on Email Requirement

The internal FEMA document seen by WIRED includes an FAQ section. The second question addresses what to do if an applicant doesn't have an email address. The document states, "Most Americans already have at least one email address, but setting up a new email address is quick and easy. There are many providers to choose from, and applicants can select the option that works best for them. FEMA does not endorse any specific email service provider."

System Overhaul and Modernization Goals

The changes to survivor signup are part of the National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS), which FEMA uses to manage disaster aid applications and disburse funds to survivors. Current and former FEMA employees, while expressing major concerns about the email - only registration requirement, acknowledge the need for a technical overhaul of the system. One former FEMA worker who worked with NEMIS told WIRED, "It is absolutely an outdated system that crashes daily."

Agency officials have publicly emphasized the need to modernize the delivery of disaster aid. Former acting director Cameron Hamilton, during a May testimony before the House Oversight Committee, described some of the agency's goals. He said, "The idea [is] that when you order a pizza from Domino’s, you know when it was ordered, when it goes into the oven, when it comes out of the oven, when it’s ready for pick up and sliced and in a box. Yet we don’t have the same level of approach towards guiding and mentoring through the process of applying for public assistance or individual assistance. We have individual survivors who wait weeks to get responses, sometimes months before they get payouts, who are in significant financial dire straits." (Hamilton was dismissed from the agency a day after this testimony.) Twelve days after Hamilton's testimony, the new acting administrator, David Richardson, met with members of DOGE to discuss a new Disaster Information Portal system, according to calendar information obtained by WIRED.

New "Status Tracker" Introduction

According to the update document, FEMA introduced a new "Status Tracker" in June to a survivor portal on a federal disaster assistance website. This includes guidance on the types of documents needed to meet verification requirements and a "visual representation of progress through the FEMA process."

Concerns over Exclusion and Elderly - Unfriendliness

Despite recognizing the need for system updates, current and former FEMA employees told WIRED they are worried that excluding individuals without email addresses from the application process could leave out those most in need. Additionally, providing information and payments solely through an online portal may be confusing even for people with emails, especially for seniors.

A FEMA worker said, "Email is already a MAJOR barrier for a lot of survivors, especially the elderly. They must use the email to create a profile on disasterassistance.gov, and this is where their correspondence is. They receive an email informing them they have a new letter, but the actual letter is within their online profile. They have to do all these verifications to access it, and it’s too much for a lot of people. A lot need postal, and email is a terrible option for them even if they have an email address and know how to read their emails."

Broader Shift in Aid Delivery

These changes occur within the context of a broader push by the agency to transfer disaster aid from the federal government to the state level. As WIRED reported in May, FEMA phased out door - to - door surveying of survivors this summer. FEMA workers are concerned about the implications of these additional aid obstacles for those in need.

A FEMA employee told WIRED, "Ending door - to - door canvassing and requiring email to register are certainly trends in a disturbing pattern of changes by the Trump administration that abandon the most vulnerable members of communities after a disaster."