The director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said on Nov. 20 that her agency needs more disaster-related funding due to back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton.
In a Senate hearing, FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said that FEMA has paid nearly $8 billion in federal assistance in response to hurricanes Helene and Milton and that as of Nov. 20, its disaster relief fund had less than $5 billion left. Overall, the agency has more than 100 disasters on its books and is still paying to help with recovery efforts.
“These needs have rapidly exhausted our available funds, and without a supplemental, our ability to respond to new disasters could be jeopardized,” Criswell said at the Senate hearing.
FEMA is assessing whether to implement immediate needs funding, she said. That’s when the agency pulls money from long-term projects addressing past disasters to ensure there is enough money to pay for life-saving, immediate needs for upcoming disasters.
“It is very clear that the stakes are high; as our communities face more frequent and devastating disasters, they increasingly rely on FEMA and our federal partners,” Criswell said. […]
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