Publicly, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has said the Federal Emergency Management Agency needs to be reoriented or even done away with altogether.

One FEMA official described the strategic plan as the agency's "organizational backbone," saying, "Without it, there are just a bunch of offices doing whatever they feel like doing."

Kevin Guthrie, the head of Florida’s emergency management department, rattled off the state’s bragging rights: debris is picked up 24/7 after a storm, power is restored within 120 hours, roads are reopened in 72 hours and schools are back online in under five business days.