Under President Biden and Vice President Harris's leadership, the Administration is continuing to provide robust and well-coordinated Federal support for the ongoing response and recovery efforts to Hurricane Helene's impacts. The President and Vice President are closely monitoring these efforts and receive regular updates from their teams.
At the President's direction, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell visited Florida over the weekend to assess damage alongside local and state officials. She continued surveying damage today in parts of Georgia before she moves into North Carolina on Monday.
Earlier this evening, Administrator Criswell and Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall briefed President Biden on the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene in multiple states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia. Administrator Criswell also updated the President on Federal actions to support response and recovery.
The President directed Administrator Criswell to determine what more can be done to accelerate support to those who are having the most difficult time accessing assistance in isolated communities. He also advised the FEMA Administrator that as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations, he intends to travel this week to impacted communities.
Additionally, the Federal government is closely monitoring an additional weather disturbance in the Caribbean Sea that has the potential to form into another storm in the coming week. Residents throughout the Gulf Coast should remain alert, listen to local officials, and make additional preparations as needed.
Additional Federal response actions include:
Approving Major Disaster Declarations
Yesterday, President Biden approved Major Disaster declarations for the states of Florida and North Carolina, allowing survivors to immediately access funds and resources to jumpstart their recovery. People in 17 counties in Florida and 25 counties in North Carolina, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, can now apply for assistance with FEMA. People can apply in three ways: online by visiting disasterassistance.gov, calling 1-800-621-3362 or on the FEMA App.
FEMA assistance in Florida and North Carolina may include upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula, and other emergency supplies. Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay.
Emergency declarations were also approved for Florida, North Carolina Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Alabama. Under an emergency declaration, FEMA provides direct Federal support to states for life saving activities and other emergency protective measures, such as evacuation, sheltering, and search and rescue.
Supporting On-The-Ground Response Efforts
As of today, more than 3,300 personnel from across the Federal workforce are deployed and supporting Hurricane Helene response efforts across the impacted states. This includes the most experienced incident management teams to help identity Federal resources to address unmet needs, as well as Urban Search and Rescue personnel using high water rescue equipment for rescue missions across the region.
At least 50,000 personnel from 31 states and the District of Columbia and Canada are responding to power outages and working around the clock throughout parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to restore power to those communities that can receive power. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is moving generators and additional power generation assets into the hardest hit areas of South and North Carolina as flood waters recede and debris removal allows. As of this afternoon, approximately 2.3 million customers are without power, down from the region-wide peak of 4.6 million on September 27.
Additional Interagency Support Efforts
Together with state and local partners, the Federal government is actively supporting Hurricane Helene response efforts and is coordinating requests for Federal assistance.
- FEMA distribution centers are fully stocked and ready to provide commodities and equipment to any impacted state, as required.
- FEMA is trucking dozens of trailers containing food and water in North Carolina to support the State as they start to set up care-sites for survivors.
- FEMA is also working with the Federal Communications Commission and private sector telecommunications partners to deploy emergency mobile communications assets while they work to restore network services, particularly in remote areas.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a Public Health Emergency for Florida and Georgia, giving health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. About 200 medical responders are in Florida, Alabama, and North Carolina, along with medical equipment and supplies, to help ensure the delivery of health care services following the landfall of Hurricane Helene.
- Twenty-four federal Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces are deployed across the affected regions. Roughly 1,302 Urban Search and Rescue personnel are assisting in the impacted areas. Together with local and state responders, teams have rescued and supported over 1,400 of people across the impacted area.
- The U.S. Coast Guard has thousands of personnel working on response efforts and are conducting post-storm assessments to support the rapid reopening of impacted ports.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deployed teams for temporary emergency power, debris removal, and infrastructure assessment, including for dams throughout the region.
- The Environmental Protection Agency has personnel on the ground who are offering technical assistance and guidance on water systems, debris management, and maintaining critical public health and environmental protections in place as storm impacts are assessed.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration deployed more than 50 personnel to support survivors and small businesses as they recover from the hurricane.
- The U.S. Department of Energy has responders deployed across the region and are closely monitoring power, fuel, and supply chain interruptions.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency has deployed personnel to the impacted region to extend much-needed emergency credit to farmers and agriculture producers who lost crops and livestock.
