By The Diary
03 Oct 2024, 01:18 AM EDT
The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, warned during a conference that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can meet immediate needs, but does not have enough funds to get through the hurricane season that this year extends until the 30th. November.
The agency is working around the clock with states to assess damage caused by Hurricane Helene. They are distributing food, water, generators and other essential supplies to people who were affected.
The storm hit Florida last week and then hit North Carolina, Tennessee and more southeastern states, flooding cities and towns, causing landslides and leaving more than 160 dead, The Associated Press reported.
He did not say how much money FEMA needs for hurricane season
Secretary Mayorkas was not specific about how much additional money the agency might need, but his comments underscored concerns expressed by President Joe Biden and some lawmakers earlier this week that Congress might need to pass a supplemental spending bill this fall to assist states with recovery efforts.
“We are covering immediate needs with the money we have. “We are expecting another hurricane,” Mayorkas said. “FEMA does not have the funds to survive the season,” AP shared
The 2024 hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes develop in the months of September and October.
Funds for FEMA
Congress replenished a key source of FEMA’s response efforts, providing $20 billion for the agency’s disaster relief fund as part of a short-term government spending bill to fund the government. until December 20.
The bill also gave FEMA flexibility to use the money more quickly as needed. However, both chambers of Congress are scheduled to remain in their home states and districts until after the election as lawmakers focus on the campaign.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Congress just provided FEMA with the funding it needs to respond, and lawmakers will make sure those resources are appropriately allocated.
Biden and Harris tour affected cities
Mayorkas made his comments as Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to the Southeast to witness the damage caused by Hurricane Helene and try to demonstrate their commitment and competence in helping devastated communities.
Biden was in North Carolina and South Carolina, while Harris was in Georgia.
The devastation caused by Helene was most severe in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where at least 57 people died in and around Asheville, North Carolina. “Communities were wiped off the map,” said Governor Roy Cooper.
With information from AP
Keep reading:
- Kamala Harris toured one of the cities most devastated by Hurricane Helene in Georgia
- Almost 140 dead from Hurricane Helene in the US; becomes one of the deadliest of this century
- In North Carolina, Hurricane Helene left 35 people dead and thousands injured