FEMA doesn't have enough funds to last through hurricane season, Mayorkas warns

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UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 1: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks about flooding in North Carolina during the daily White House press briefing, Tuesday, October 1, 2024. National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, also spoke

The Federal Emergency Management Agency can meet immediate needs, but does not have enough funds to get through the crisis. hurricane season, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Wednesday.

The agency is under strain as it works with states to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Helene is delivering meals, water, generators and other essential supplies. The storm hit Florida last week and then spread through several southeastern states, flooding towns and killing more than 160 people.

Mayorkas did not say how much additional money the agency might need, but his remarks on Air Force One underscored concerns expressed by President Joe Biden and some lawmakers earlier this week that Congress may need to pass an additional spending bill this fall to help states with recovery efforts.

“We are responding to immediate needs with the money we have. We are expecting another hurricane,” Mayorkas said. “FEMA does not have the funds to get through the season.”

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes typically occur in September and October.

Congress recently 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 the flexibility to draw down money more quickly if necessary.

Both houses of Congress, however, are expected to remain in their home states and districts until after the election, as lawmakers focus on their campaigns.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., gave no indication he planned to change that timeline during a speech Tuesday. He said Congress has just provided FEMA with the funds it needs to respond and that lawmakers will ensure those resources are properly allocated.

A bipartisan group of affected state senators wrote to their leaders this week saying it was clear Congress must act to meet constituents’ needs. They said it might even require Congress to return in October, before the election.

Red Cross response to Hurricane Helene

Antoine Holman, Red Cross development director, discusses ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Helen, the second deadliest storm in the United States in 50 years.

Mayorkas made the comments as Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled throughout the Southeast to view the damage caused by the hurricane and seek to demonstrate their commitment and competence in helping devastated communities. Biden is heading to North Carolina and South Carolina, while Harris is heading to Georgia.

More than 150,000 households have registered for FEMA assistance, and that number is expected to rise quickly in the coming days, said Frank Matranga, an agency representative.

The devastation was particularly severe in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where at least 57 people died in and around Asheville, North Carolina, a tourist paradise known for its art galleries, breweries and outdoor activities.

“Communities have been wiped off the map,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said at a news conference Tuesday.