In the wake of the recent hurricanes Helene and Milton devastating the southeastern U.S., the failure of FEMA to provide effective disaster relief has been at the center of public conversation. While some blame the diversion of funds to migrant support programs or foreign military aid, they’re missing the heart of the issue. The raw numbers may shock the typical taxpayer, but the unfortunate reality is that those expenditures are a drop in the federal budget bucket. The real problem is much deeper—centralized bureaucracies are inherently incapable of successfully responding to complex, chaotic, and rapidly developing emergencies. The average Americans who’ve sprung into action to save their neighbors aren’t just picking up the slack. Local knowledge and resources will always be the best asset for on-the-ground problem solving during these kinds of disasters, and federal agencies can best serve Americans by staying out of the way.