WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency can meet immediate needs but does not have sufficient funding to weather the hurricane season, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters on Wednesday.
The agency is stretched thin as it works with states to assess damage Hurricane Helene and provides meals, water, generators and other critical supplies. The storm hit Florida last week and then tore through several states in the Southeast, flooding towns and killing more than 160 people.
Mayorkas was not specific about how much additional money the agency needs, but his comments about Air Force One underscored concerns President Joe Biden and some lawmakers raised earlier this week that Congress may need to pass a supplemental spending bill this fall to help states with attempts at recovery.
“We are meeting immediate needs with the money we have. We expect another hurricane to come,” Mayorkas said. “FEMA does not have the resources 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 by providing $20 billion for the agency’s disaster relief fund as part of a short-term administration. expense account to finance the government until December 20. The bill also gave FEMA the flexibility to use the money more quickly if needed.
However, both chambers of Congress are scheduled to remain in their home states and districts until after the election while lawmakers focus on their campaigns.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., gave no indication during a speech Tuesday that he is considering changing that schedule. He said Congress just provided FEMA with the resources it needs to respond and lawmakers would ensure those resources are allocated appropriately.
A bipartisan group of senators from affected states wrote in their leadership this week that it is clear that Congress must take action to meet the needs of voters. They said this may even require Congress to return in October, ahead of the election.
Mayorkas made his comments as Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spread through the Southeast to witness the damage caused by the hurricane and show commitment and competence in helping devastated communities. Biden goes to North and South Carolina, while Harris goes to Georgia.
More than 150,000 households have registered for assistance with FEMA, and that number is expected to rise rapidly in the coming days, said Frank Matranga, a representative for the agency.
The destruction was particularly severe in the region Blue Ridge Mountainswhere at least 57 people died in and around Asheville, North Carolina, a tourist haven known for its art galleries, breweries and outdoor activities.
“Communities were wiped off the map,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said at a news conference on Tuesday.