ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he plans to dismantle the country’s federal disaster response agency after the current hurricane season, shifting the burden of recovery efforts to individual states.

Speaking at a press briefing in the White House, Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would be “phased out,” and governors should take on greater responsibility for disaster response. “We’re moving it back to the states, so the governors can handle it,” he said. “If they can’t handle it, they shouldn’t be governor.”

Trump added that future emergency funds would be distributed directly from the president’s office, rather than through federal agencies. “We’re going to give out less money,” he said. "We're going to give it out directly. It'll be from the president's office. We'll have somebody here, could be Homeland Security."

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed the plan, saying FEMA "fundamentally needs to go away as it exists."

The announcement comes just as the US enters its hurricane season, which runs from June through the end of November, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA forecasts a particularly active year, with a 60% chance of above-normal storm activity in the Atlantic.​​​​​​​