Despite facing criticism for the agency's handling of Hurricane Helene and preparations for Hurricane Milton, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell insists that officials have been on the ground since before Helene hit Florida. She emphasizes that FEMA is committed to meeting the needs of affected individuals and has sufficient funds for both hurricanes.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene and amidst preparations for Hurricane Milton, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has addressed criticisms directed towards the agency. Criswell vehemently denies allegations of misuse of government funds for illegal migrants and sluggish disaster response.
FEMA Administrator Defends Agency's Hurricane Response Amidst Criticism
"We have been on the ground since before Hurricane Helene hit Florida and before it crossed over North Carolina," Criswell asserted on Monday's broadcast of "Special Report." "Just because someone doesn't see a person in a FEMA shirt doesn't mean we're not in the area."
Criswell explained that FEMA works closely with state officials to prioritize and allocate resources effectively. "We have a team located with the state side by side to help them understand their needs and move resources where they're needed," she stated.
FEMA Administrator Defends Agency's Hurricane Response Amidst Criticism
The FEMA administrator highlighted the collaborative efforts with the National Guard in distributing supplies and emphasized the presence of the entire federal family in supporting the disaster response. "We've been there. We will continue to be there as long as it's needed to make sure we're meeting everybody's needs," she assured.
Addressing concerns about funding, Criswell asserted that FEMA has adequate resources for both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. "We have enough funds to absolutely get through the response for this hurricane, as well as the continued response for Hurricane Helene," she declared.
FEMA Administrator Defends Agency's Hurricane Response Amidst Criticism
However, Criswell acknowledged that additional funding may be necessary in the future. "What I find that we might need to do is in the December-January time frame, we may have to go back into that immediate needs funding to ensure I always have enough to support lifesaving actions," she explained.
Criswell also refuted claims that FEMA money is being diverted away from disaster response to support illegal migrants. "The Disaster Relief Fund is the fund that we use to respond to disasters and there has been $0 removed from that fund to support any other activities," she clarified.
The FEMA administrator emphasized that FEMA is actively preparing for Hurricane Milton, which is expected to impact Florida later this week. "We are moving in additional resources ahead of Hurricane Milton," she announced.
Criswell reiterated FEMA's commitment to supporting those affected by the hurricanes. "Our mission is to help people before, during, and after disasters and to save lives," she concluded. "We take that very seriously. We're going to continue to work with our partners and do everything we can to support everybody who's been impacted."
