State and local emergency managers are facing a serious question in the wake of President Donald Trump's first few weeks in office: When disaster strikes, will they be able to count on the federal government?

Solutions include funding the federal agency properly, requiring states to share a larger burden of the responsibility and removing barriers to resilience.

The president's comments brought immediate pushback. Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear called the elimination of FEMA a "very bad idea." Sen. Bill Cassidy (R–La.) stopped short of condemning Trump's comments, saying some federal disaster agency is needed, even if that agency isn't FEMA.

The president said he's considering letting Washington directly reimburse states for disaster-relief efforts, but states might not be equipped for rapid response.