International Courant
As a nonetheless reeling Florida braces for the affect of Hurricane Milton, the U.S. authorities’s essential catastrophe response arm, the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA), is working to offer aid amid back-to-back storms.
Milton strengthened to a Class 5 storm on Monday because it targeted on the west coast of Florida, however is predicted to make landfall as a Class 3 hurricane Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
Hurricane watches are in impact in Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples and Orlando.
Late final month, Hurricane Helene made landfall within the Massive Bend area of Flordia, leaving a 500-mile path of destruction from Florida by the southern Appalachians that was nothing in need of catastrophic.
Whereas officers warn of the hazards Hurricane Milton is predicted to trigger on account of Helene’s injury, understanding the position FEMA does and doesn’t play in catastrophe response may help scale back misinformation because the group works on response efforts.
What does FEMA do?
FEMA works to offer aid to individuals in affected areas earlier than, throughout and after disasters by offering funding, technical help and steering. in line with the company.
Former President Jimmy Carter signed an government order to create FEMA in 1979, and the company is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
A glance inside FEMA headquarters as U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris attends a briefing on Hurricane Helene impacts and updates on the federal response, on the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) headquarters on September 30 in Washington, DC. 2024.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP through Getty Photos
FEMA is working with affected states to coordinate sources present public help to cowl the prices of eradicating particles, life-saving emergency safety procedures and restoring public infrastructure.
FEMA additionally offers federal grants to victims to assist them with momentary housing, emergency residence repairs, lack of private property, and funeral and medical bills, amongst different bills.
Nonetheless, the federal company shouldn’t be solely chargeable for the catastrophe response and restoration course of, in line with Joshua Dozor, who labored for FEMA for greater than a decade and most not too long ago served as deputy assistant administrator for response operations.
“FEMA is a small company – it isn’t a military with vehicles,” Dozor informed ABC Information.
Dozor described the department extra as an “enabler” for catastrophe response, saying, “FEMA coordinates sources amongst departments and companies, nongovernmental organizations and contractors, to assist the state take the lead position in delivering the response.”
Particles from broken houses is seen after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Horseshoe Seaside, Florida on September 28, 2024.
Chandan Khanna/AFP through Getty Photos
Within the wake of the injury brought on by Hurricane Helene, the company has confronted a wave of criticism and misinformation about its response; nonetheless, the company stories that thousands and thousands in help have been offered as efforts proceed.
As of Sunday, FEMA’s federal help for affected Helene survivors topped $137 million, in line with the company.
FEMA has shipped greater than 14.9 million meals, greater than 13.9 million gallons of water, 157 mills and greater than 505,000 tarps to the area, the company mentioned.
“You will see FEMA on the crucial coordination nodes, you will see them within the discipline operations facilities, you will see them within the state operations middle, you will see them in the important thing hospitals – however they will not be FEMA, so to talk -wearing hats,” Dozor mentioned.
Is FEMA out of cash?
As a part of the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety, FEMA makes use of an working funds and a catastrophe fund that Congress replenishes yearly.
In September, FEMA’s catastrophe aid fund obtained $20 billion, the identical quantity offered by Congress final 12 months. Nonetheless, roughly $8 billion has been put aside for previous storm restoration and mitigation initiatives.
Males work to demolish a constructing on Primary Road within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 3, 2024 in Marshall, NC
Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Photos
“Now we have the sources we have to deal with Helene and Milton on the identical time; nobody ought to fear about FEMA dropping sources,” mentioned Keith Turi, FEMA’s performing deputy administrator for response and restoration, throughout an interview on ABC Information. Reside Monday.
Will assist from Helene’s survivors be diverted to Milton?
Turi assured that funding for Helene’s response within the Southeast is not going to be affected by the fallout from Milton.
Residents clear up particles within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Marshall, NC on September 30, 2024.
Picture by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Submit through Getty Photos
“We proceed to actively help North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Virginia and Tennessee within the response to Helene, and we is not going to divert essential human sources from these ongoing responses,” he mentioned.
Will households obtain greater than $750 in help?
As restoration efforts proceed, people who utilized for direct aid funds from FEMA obtained an preliminary grant of $750 from the group; Nonetheless, this isn’t the full quantity that can be allotted to these affected.
That quantity, which is designated by Congress and never the Biden administration, comes from FEMA Critical assist wanted program and is meant to assist survivors pay for disaster-related prices reminiscent of meals, water, child components and different emergency provides.
Injury from Hurricane Helene in Horseshoe Seaside, Florida, on September 28, 2024.
Chandan Khanna/AFP through Getty Photos
Nonetheless, FEMA help is not going to totally restore the destroyed houses to their authentic situation. The utmost quantity a family can obtain from the company to rebuild is $42,500.
For extra details about disinformation surrounding FEMA’s catastrophe response, please contact the company Hurricane Helene: rumor response web page.
What it is advisable to find out about FEMA’s catastrophe response forward of Hurricane Milton’s landfall
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