The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has reportedly suspended a number of staff who criticised the agency's direction under US President Donald Trump.
The staff are said to have been among those who recently signed an open letter that castigated Trump officials over cuts and alleged interference, warning that another national catastrophe akin to Hurricane Katrina was possible.
More than 20 employees were told on Tuesday that they had been put on administrative leave, according to sources who spoke to the BBC's US partner, CBS News.
Asked by the BBC for a comment, a Fema spokesperson said the agency's obligation was to survivors of disasters, not to protecting broken systems.
The spokesperson also said: It is not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform. Change is always hard. It is especially for those invested in the status quo, who have forgotten that their duty is to the American people not entrenched bureaucracy.
There has been renewed scrutiny of US disaster readiness after recent deadly flooding in Texas, and Trump has suggested that state-level officials might be better positioned to manage natural disasters.
Many Fema employees have left their positions since the beginning of the year, representing a significant portion of the workforce.
Of the 191 employees who signed the letter, many chose to remain anonymous, reflecting ongoing concerns about the agency's capabilities as it faces climate-related disasters.
Some of those who signed the letter are now in non-duty status, while reassured that the current administrative leave is not intended to be punitive.
