By Leah Douglas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Recent staff losses at the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, including the departure of two dozen senior leaders, could compromise the agency’s ability to respond to natural disasters this year, according to a report by a government watchdog agency.

Disaster experts and FEMA employees have warned that understaffing, inexperienced leadership and a prolonged hiring freeze could hobble this year’s hurricane and wildfire response. President Donald Trump has said he plans to wind down FEMA and shift the responsibility for disaster response to states after this hurricane season, which lasts through November. He has criticized FEMA for being inefficient and overly bureaucratic.

Roughly 2,500 staff left FEMA between January 25 and June 1, including

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