How US government will dole out aid to victims of Hurricanes Milton, Helene

As the 2nd large hurricane this period barrels toward the U.S. – this 1 promising to beryllium adjacent much devastating than the past – concerns are increasing implicit however the authorities volition assistance wage for what could go millions of dollars worthy of damage.

Is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) moving retired of money? Will Congress o.k. catastrophe relief?

Here’s what we know:

A Department of Homeland Security Inspector General study from August states that FEMA has $7 cardinal that tin beryllium directed to assistance with betterment from Hurricanes Milton and Helene.

FEMA has a stash of wealth that was dedicated to betterment from older earthy disasters dating backmost to "Superstorm Sandy," which spun done the Northeast successful 2012. But Fox is told the IG study "gives an incomplete picture" of however overmuch wealth is available. FEMA disputes that each the wealth is recoverable, signaling that lone astir $4.5 cardinal is not obligated and could perchance beryllium reprogrammed.

That inactive means that immoderate wealth is perchance disposable and could beryllium returned to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) for "immediate needs." The DRF deals with the contiguous mentation and aftermath of earthy disasters. That includes providing nutrient and structure for people, rescuing people, providing contiguous wealth to people, transportation, et al. 

This presumption shows commuters driving eastbound connected Interstate 75 distant from Florida's westbound seashore up of the accomplishment of Hurricane Milton connected Oct. 8, 2024. (Reuters/Marco Bello)

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Fox is told that Congress would person to ballot to "reprogram" the older money. Moreover, reprogrammed older catastrophe alleviation wealth tin lone spell backmost into the DRF. It cannot beryllium applied to a larger "supplemental" spending measure to assistance retrieve from these storms. The terms tag determination volition apt beryllium upwards of $1 billion. 

It volition beryllium up to Congress to determine if it wants to reprogram immoderate of that wealth to code contiguous needs successful the DRF erstwhile that cookware of wealth starts to bleed adust aft these 2 large storms. 

Under the idiosyncratic assistance program, the bureau often rapidly approves $750 for each household for food, apparel and mundane essentials. 

Disaster survivors are besides eligible to person up to $42,500 successful fiscal lodging assistance. That tin beryllium utilized to repair homes oregon wage up to 18 months of rent. Applications for this programme thin to instrumentality longer for FEMA to process. Other programs connection tens of thousands of dollars to assistance catastrophe survivors rebuild done the Small Business Administration, FEMA and different national programs. 

Meanwhile, lawmakers freed up astir $20 cardinal successful contiguous backing for FEMA successful past month’s short-term national backing bill. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R–La., predicted Helene’s devastation would beryllium "one of the astir expensive" the U.S. has seen.

Initial estimates spot backstage insured losses from Helene astatine astir $11 billion. Milton, present rated a Category 3 hurricane, is expected to wreak adjacent much havoc.

A sculpture of Poseidon is seen aft the oculus of Hurricane Milton passed disconnected the seashore of Progreso, Mexico, connected Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)

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Congress is not expected to instrumentality aboriginal from a pre-election recess to woody with the problem.

"The happening astir these hurricanes and disasters of this magnitude is that it takes a portion to cipher the existent damages, and the states are going to request immoderate clip to bash that," Johnson said connected Fox News.

But Fox is progressively proceeding from a fig of conservatives who are acceptable to respond to the fiscal needs of Hurricanes Milton and Helene. They are blessed to walk the money, but they are progressively itchy astir wanting spending cuts to offset the outgo of the storm. Some of those requests whitethorn beryllium for programs that code Democrat priorities.

But a elder House Republican root disagrees that the offsets volition ever come.

"That isn’t going to happen. That ne'er happens," the root said. "This volition conscionable spell connected the recognition card."

While the thought of cutting elsewhere to nutrient offsets makes sense, it whitethorn beryllium politically impossible.

"Tell maine wherever you tin get the votes to bash it?" asked the source, who declined to beryllium identified.

Moreover, the national authorities is already into fiscal 2025 and determination is nary agreed-upon top-line spending number. 

In addition, fiscal hawks tried to marque akin cuts aft Hurricane Sandy successful 2012, but they failed.

"And it’s not going to enactment now," the GOP root said.

Johnson said helium was "alarmed and disappointed" by Biden officials’ comments instantly aft the tempest suggesting FEMA was too debased connected funds to woody with Helene’s wrath. 

A van flows successful floodwaters adjacent Biltmore Village successful the aftermath of Hurricane Helene connected Sept. 28, 2024 successful Asheville, N.C. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Biden suggested this week helium whitethorn privation Congress to instrumentality for an exigency league to walk a supplemental catastrophe assistance bill.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said "we are gathering the contiguous needs" of the hurricane this week, but "FEMA does not person the funds to marque it done the season."

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Criticism implicit FEMA’s effect has prompted immoderate conservatives to impeach the Biden medication of diverting catastrophe assistance funds toward supporting amerciable immigrants astatine the borderline done the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), which was allocated astir $650 cardinal successful the past fiscal year.

Both the White House and Department of Homeland Security person vigorously denied immoderate nexus betwixt catastrophe assistance and the SSP, beyond some being administered by FEMA, and person said claims of immoderate catastrophe alleviation dollars being utilized to enactment migrant lodging services are false.

Fox News' Liz Elkind contributed to this report.