Climate Politics
Back-to-Back Hurricanes Set to Strain FEMA as Its Funds Run Low
Hurricane Milton is bearing down on Florida only days after Helene tore through and could cost even more, says a former FEMA head.
A destroyed church in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, North Carolina, on Oct. 6.
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The cash-strapped US 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 strain on FEMA’s resources,” said Daniel Kaniewski, a former deputy administrator at the US disaster response agency. “A major hurricane hitting a highly populated area would certainly be a worst case.”