Lost everything in a storm? Good luck. FEMA to require email address for aid as families rebuild after disasters

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the Trump administration, is requiring that anyone seeking disaster aid have an email address before they apply.

In the past, an email address was an optional means of contacting the federal agency, but now it will be standard for everyone.

FEMA employees told WIRED that some people in the country have little to no access to internet services and could find themselves without a reliable way to request emergency funding.

WIRED viewed an agency memo that says the update to its policy is an “important step to prepare for the transition to digital payment methods and enhance communication with survivors throughout the application process.”

The change is reportedly a response to one of Donald Trump’s March executive orders, which ended paper bookkeeping in the federal government.

The changes went into effect on August 12, according to WIRED.

FEMA workers are already reporting issues with the new email system, according to workers who spoke to the magazine.

One worker reportedly said they saw a colleague turn away a person who was seeking aid but who did not have an email address. The colleague did give the individual instructions for how to get a free Hotmail email address.

“You could tell this person was not going to be able to figure it out,” the FEMA worker reportedly said.

According to the FEMA memo, more than 80 percent of those requesting aid already sign up for it online. FEMA believes that its digital-only communication policy is “the most effective way for survivors to stay informed about their application status, receive timely updates, and access critical information.”

That is, assuming a survivor has a way to receive digital communications.

According to a 2022 National Telecommunications and Information Administration report, one in five American households are without internet access.

The majority of individuals who have no internet said they don’t want it and refuse to jump online. But approximately 20 percent said that they could not afford monthly internet access.

NITA’s data showed that households without internet typically make less than $25,000 a year and tend to be either ethnic or racial minorities.

FEMA’s memo directs workers, if they encounter an individual without an email address, to set one up for them.

“Most Americans already have at least one email address, but setting up a new email address is quick and easy,” the document says. “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.”