The cash-strapped , U. S. Federal Emergency Management Agency , is set to be tested by back-to-back major disasters as Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida ‘s , Gulf Coast , less than two weeks after Helene devastated the Southeast.
” This could result in a significant burden on FEMA’s assets”, said , Daniel Kaniewski, a former deputy superintendent at the , U. S.  , crisis response company. A big hurricane scushing into a highly populated region would undoubtedly be the worst case scenario.
Even before Helene struck late last month, killing at least 227 and causing up to$ 250 billion in damages,  , FEMA , was stretched thin by record-setting wildfires and other extreme weather events. Under financial strain, the agency projected a$ 3 billion deficit by February.
Although , Congress , provided , FEMA , with$ 20 billion in a temporary government spending bill lasting through , Dec. 20, Homeland Security Secretary , Alejandro Mayorkas , has warned that the agency does n’t have enough funding to make it through hurricane season. It still has much to satisfy immediate needs, Mayorkas said.
Evacuations were afoot on Florida’s eastern beach Monday as Milton intensified to a Category 5 storm — the highest amount on the Saffir-Simpson level — fueled by warm Gulf of , Mexico , water. President , Joe Biden , declared a state of emergency in , Florida , ahead of its introduction.
If Milton makes ashore in the , Tampa , urban area, which has about 3.2 million people, it could be more expensive than Helene in terms of problems, said , Craig Fugate, FEMA’s past executive.
It will not actually come close to the amount of investing you will see with this storm, Fugate said,” as terrible as Helene was.” ” I would anticipate much larger amounts in terms of the number of people impacted and the damage.”
FEMA , did n’t immediately respond to a request for comment, but Administrator , Deanne Criswell , said Sunday the agency was “absolutely ready” for another hurricane.
” We have started planning for this time earlier, even before it formed”, Criswell said on ABC’s” This Week”. We’re collaborating with the position to determine what their requirements will be before it makes landfall.
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