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- By Native News Online Staff
A report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, recommends that emergency tornado relief funds be sent directly to tribal nations, rather than funneled through state governments.
The report, titled TORNADOES: Agencies Promote Resilience but Actions Needed to Improve Access to FEMA Assistance, examined how FEMA administered tornado-related aid from 2019 to 2024.
Although the primary focus was a five-year period, the report also notes: “From fiscal years 2014 through 2023, 17 states did not distribute any awards to Tribes within their state.”
Tornadoes are the deadliest natural disaster in the U.S., causing more fatalities each year than hurricanes and earthquakes combined. In 2024, the country experienced over 2,100 tornadoes—the highest annual total since recordkeeping began in 1950. FEMA provides assistance to survivors and helps impacted communities recover through various support programs.
Tribal nations remain particularly at risk due to limited infrastructure and emergency management resources.
“Our region has always experienced tornadoes, but over the last five to six years, we have seen an increased trend in the frequency of storms with more distinctive tornadic activity,” April Sells, Poarch Band of Creek Indians (Alabama), Tribal Emergency Management Administrator (EMA) Director, told Native News Online in August, 2023. “Our tornado season used to just occur in the Spring between May through June, but now we are seeing these severe weather systems almost quarterly.”
The GAO report states:“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.
After completing the study, the FEMA Administrator should outline steps the agency plans to take, with timeframes, to address any findings.”
The findings call for significant changes in how federal disaster aid is allocated to ensure tribal governments can respond more effectively to tornado-related emergencies.
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