FEMA ready for extreme hurricane and wildfire season, but money is an issue, Mayorkas says

REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press

11 minutes ago

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks to The Associated Press during an interview at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Department of Homeland Security said Friday that the agency charged with responding to disasters across the country is ready to tackle what is expected to be an intense hurricane and wildfire season, but he worries about looming budget deficits.

As parts of the United States experience potentially record-breaking temperatures, Secretary of State Alejandro Mayorkas said the extreme heat could be considered a major disaster under a law governing how the federal government responds to disasters natural, but that local communities have historically been able to cope with major disasters. heat waves or smoke from wildfires without needing federal aid.

Mayorkas spoke to The Associated Press during a visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters for a briefing on the hurricane season, which began June 1. Experts believe this year could be one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record due to climate change. makes storms more intense. Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the season, has already brought heavy rain to parts of Mexico.

Mayorkas said one of the reasons FEMA is ready is because the agency’s staff has gained a lot of practice responding to disasters as climate change intensifies.

“Unfortunately, they exercised those muscles year after year. As the impacts of climate change become more evident, we have seen and experienced increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events,” Mayorkas said.

In this context, the secretary expressed concern about the size of the agency’s disaster relief fund. It is the primary means by which FEMA funds its response to hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other disasters.

“We anticipate that the Disaster Relief Fund, which is the critical fund we use to finance impacted communities, will be exhausted by mid-August. And we need Congress to fund the disaster relief fund,” he said.

If the fund is short on money, that doesn’t mean the agency isn’t responding to emergencies. Instead, the agency is dedicated to what is called immediate needs funding, that is, redirecting money from other programs so that it can meet the most vital needs. urgent. But this can starve takeovers of money in the longer term.

Much of the United States is in the grip of a heat wave, and many areas are expected to experience record temperatures and hot weather that is expected to continue through the weekend. This hot start to the summer comes after the United States last year experienced the most heat waves since 1936.

As climate change causes temperatures to rise nationwide, advocates and some members of Congress are questioning whether heat waves should be considered natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes and floods.

Environmental and labor groups earlier this week called on FEMA to include extreme heat and smoke from wildfires among major disasters under the Stafford Act, the law defining the federal response to disasters. They argued that both are among the biggest destroyers of the environment and that a clear federal designation would unlock funds for things like cooling centers for use during heat waves or community solar energy projects to reduce network load.

“In recent years, increasing extreme heat events have affected millions of workers and communities – from farmworkers sowing crops outdoors in deadly heat dome conditions, to postal workers entering and exiting scorching trucks , to warehouse workers facing record indoor heat while performing rapid physical labor, and to communities of color suffering disproportionate heat while living in concrete urban heat islands,” the petition states.

Mayorkas said the law does not prevent extreme heat or smoke from being considered a major disaster, but the federal government only steps in to help when a local community does not have the resources to respond herself. But historically, that “hasn’t been the case when it comes to extreme heat and smoke,” he said.