How did FEMA spend $9 billion so quickly? Back-to-back disasters
FEMA is rapidly spending its disaster funding in response to consecutive significant hurricanes, Helene and Milton, amid a year marked by relentless natural disasters. Following a recent allocation of approximately $20 billion from Congress for hurricane season, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund now stands at $11 billion, as reported by administrator Deanne Criswell on Wednesday. This indicates that the agency has expended around $9 billion of the newly appropriated funds in just over a week, even prior to Milton’s landfall on Wednesday night.
The accelerated expenditure reflects the numerous previous disasters FEMA is addressing alongside Helene and Milton. Consequently, it may necessitate Congress to allocate additional billions for disaster relief sooner than anticipated. Here’s what to understand:
– **Previous Disasters**: FEMA had exhausted its funds earlier this year, prompting Congress to open the agency’s budget for fiscal year 2025. This action provided FEMA with about $20 billion to utilize while responding to hurricanes Helene and Milton.
– **Reimbursement**: About $7 billion to $8 billion has gone toward reimbursing states for past disasters, with the remainder allocated for recovery and response efforts related to Helene and Milton. Once FEMA received the authorization to spend, it began directing recovery and assistance funds back to communities in Texas, California, and New Mexico that had previously suffered from earlier hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes.
– **Ongoing Efforts**: The current count of billion-dollar extreme weather disasters in the U.S. stands at approximately 23 or 24 this year, including hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton. This figure is unofficial and subject to change, but it includes various severe weather events such as wildfires, floods, and tornadoes.
FEMA’s spending is extensive due to the numerous extreme weather events impacting various regions of the United States this year. The agency is continuously evaluating its disaster recovery fund balance and may need to request further funds from Congress sooner than expected, although no specific timeline has been specified.
