FEMA Director Sounds Alarm Over Disaster Funding After Recent Hurricanes

FEMA Director Deanne Criswell speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House on Aug. 29, 2023. Win McNamee/Getty Images

The director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said on Nov. 20 that her agency needs more disaster-related funding due to back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton.

In a Senate hearing, FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said that FEMA has paid nearly $8 billion in federal assistance in response to hurricanes Helene and Milton and that as of Nov. 20, its disaster relief fund had less than $5 billion left. Overall, the agency has more than 100 disasters on its books and is still paying to help with recovery efforts.

“These needs have rapidly exhausted our available funds, and without a supplemental, our ability to respond to new disasters could be jeopardized,” Criswell said at the Senate hearing.

FEMA is assessing whether to implement immediate needs funding, she said. That’s when the agency pulls money from long-term projects addressing past disasters to ensure there is enough money to pay for life-saving, immediate needs for upcoming disasters.

“It is very clear that the stakes are high; as our communities face more frequent and devastating disasters, they increasingly rely on FEMA and our federal partners,” Criswell said.

After the two hurricanes, FEMA saw more than 2.4 million households register for disaster assistance, breaking records, she said.

Also in the hearing, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said that every U.S. state has suffered “a disaster declared in recent years and has relied on FEMA for response and recovery, including several Maine communities affected by last year’s winter storms.” She concurred that the disaster fund is “nearing exhaustion,” according to a transcript.

The committee heard from two senators from Georgia and North Carolina, states that were hit particularly hard by Helene and Milton.

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) detailed the damage that the storms had wrought on the state’s farmers and ranchers. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) spoke passionately about the struggles that the western part of his state is still facing after Helene.

The Biden administration asked Congress on Nov. 18 for about $100 billion for disaster aid. The largest chunk of that money, about $40 billion, would go to FEMA’s disaster relief fund.

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Biden wrote that “additional resources are critical to continue to support these communities” affected by the twin hurricanes.

“From rebuilding homes and reopening critical infrastructure, such as schools and roads—to supporting the Nation’s farmers and ranchers and ensuring access to healthcare services—impacted communities await your response,” it said.

Criswell also faced questioning on Nov. 20 from members of the House about reports and leaked screenshots indicating that FEMA workers skipped over homes with signs displaying support for President-elect Donald Trump after Hurricane Milton hit Florida. Earlier this month, Criswell said that a FEMA official involved in the incident was terminated from her position, but that worker has since said in multiple media interviews that she was a scapegoat for the agency.

“This was the culture. They were already avoiding these homes, based on community trends, from hostile political encounters,” the fired employee, Marn’i Washington, told Fox News. “It has nothing to do with the campaign sign, it just so happened to be a part of the community trend.”

Washington then claimed that she was made to take the blame because she was the one who got caught for “what was coming down” from her superiors.

In response to questions from House members, Criswell said she supports an inspector general’s investigation into the reports and into Washington’s public comments, although she said that she does not believe Washington’s actions were part of a trend within the agency.

“I do not believe that this employee’s actions are indicative of any widespread cultural problems at FEMA,” Criswell said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.