The catastrophic wreckage left in the wake of Hurricane Helene has sharply thrust FEMA out of money funding limitations into the public eye, raising concerns about whether sufficient financial reserves exist to handle the remainder of the hurricane season. This week, a FEMA official confirmed that while the agency currently possesses adequate resources to address Helene’s immediate aftermath, these reserves could be depleted well before the official conclusion of the season on November 30.
Frank Matranga, a senior FEMA representative, cautioned on Thursday that the financial toll of Hurricane Helene would be astronomical. “We’re meticulously monitoring the financial support allocated by Congress, along with our anticipated expenditures in the coming days,” Matranga explained. He further emphasized FEMA’s commitment to keeping Congress fully informed about its fiscal standing, encouraging swift intervention if necessary.
However, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas underscored the gravity of the situation by warning that FEMA’s financial reserves are poised to run dry before the season’s close. “We’re addressing immediate necessities with the funds at our disposal, but another impending storm exacerbates the challenge,” Mayorkas disclosed on Wednesday. “FEMA simply does not have the financial capacity to endure the entire season,” he warned.
As of Monday, President Joe Biden was reportedly deliberating on whether to summon Congress back into session to secure additional funding. Legislators aren’t scheduled to reconvene in Washington, D.C., until November 12. “That’s a possibility I may need to explore, though no final decision has been made yet,” Biden remarked.
Nevertheless, this potential request might encounter complications. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed doubt over the urgency of an early congressional return. “Congress has already provided FEMA with the necessary resources to respond, so we’ll ensure those funds are allocated as intended,” Johnson commented following Biden’s statement. He further asserted in an interview with The New York Times that “there’s no immediate necessity for Congress to reconvene.”
Johnson explained that even if such a request were to be initiated, it would not be feasible to have it prepared before lawmakers reconvene in mid-November. However, on Tuesday, a bipartisan coalition of senators from storm-impacted regions urged their peers to remain prepared to return to Congress if circumstances demand urgent action.
“Although the full extent of the devastation is still coming into focus, it’s evident that Congress must act swiftly to address the unmet needs in our states and confront the immense destruction wrought upon our communities,” the senators wrote in a joint letter. They emphasized that Congress might even need to reconvene in October to ensure ample time for legislative measures before the year’s end.
Recently, Congress bolstered FEMA out of money disaster relief fund with a $20 billion boost, embedded within a short-term spending bill. However, a significant portion of this sum is already earmarked for addressing residual demands from earlier catastrophes.
Some Republican lawmakers who co-signed the letter expressed their readiness to return to Washington to deliberate on a supplemental aid package. On Monday, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida advocated for the Senate to “reconvene without delay” to pass such a package. Similarly, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina deemed it “crucial for Congress to reconvene in order to pass supplementary aid for the Southeast following Hurricane Helene, as well as to support missile defense aid for Israel.”
This divergence in perspectives portends a looming funding confrontation as the true scale of Hurricane Helene’s destruction, which has claimed more than 200 lives, continues to surface.