Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday that FEMA has sufficient resources to respond to the “immediate” needs of victims of Hurricanes Helen and Milton, but hurricane season is not over yet. He called on Congress to fund FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund for future storms.
With seven weeks left in hurricane season, Mayorkas appeared on CBS' “Face the Nation” and addressed recent claims about FEMA resources.
“FEMA has funds available to address the immediate needs of individuals affected by Hurricanes Helen and Milton,” Mayorkas said. “But hurricane season is not over yet, and Congress needs to act quickly to fund FEMA, especially the Disaster Relief Fund.”
Mayorkas further criticized the agency earlier this month when he said FEMA had enough money for “immediate needs” but “no money to get us through the season.” The administration is asking Congress to return to Congress and pass a spending bill to provide additional funding for hurricane season.
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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday called on Congress to “act quickly” to fund FEMA disaster relief because “hurricane season is not over yet.” (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images, File)
“We must ensure that individuals can recover from these extreme disasters, including rebuilding their homes and repairing damage,” Mayorkas said Sunday. “Therefore, we need Congress to act quickly to fund what should be a bipartisan, apolitical phenomenon, and to ensure that it is effective for all individuals regarding the impacts of these extreme weather events. It brings relief.”
Mayorkas also addressed criticism of authorities' response after the storm.
“FEMA's efforts have not slowed down at all,” he said. “We have already distributed more than $470 million in relief funds to those affected by Hurricane Helen. I am extremely proud and proud of the extraordinary efforts of our nation's FEMA employees and all first responders. You should be very proud of the work you did.”
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North Carolina officials on Sunday confirmed the death toll from Hurricane Helen's storms, at least 93 people, but the number of missing and unaccounted for remains unaccounted for. New deaths also occurred in Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee, bringing the death toll to more than 220.
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Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm. At least 10 people have died and hundreds of thousands of residents remain without power.
Fox News Digital's Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
