SEATTLE — County-level emergency management officials in Washington state have been barred in recent weeks from communicating with their traditional contacts at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.

Several local officials were instructed this week or last that FEMA is changing how local jurisdictions interact with the agency and should no longer contact the individuals they have traditionally worked with. Murray’s office suggested the change stems from President Trump’s push for more centralized control of FEMA operations.

The development was revealed during a roundtable discussion Thursday with Murray, where emergency management officials outlined how recent and proposed changes to FEMA are impacting county-level preparedness and coordination.

Read the full story at King 5 here.

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