The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) faced criticism after new data revealed nearly half of calls for disaster assistance following Hurricanes Helene and Milton went unanswered. Almost half of the callers seeking aid never connected with a federal worker, and those who managed to connect waited over an hour on average to reach assistance.

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The report surfaced as the Harris-Biden administration faced mounting criticism from conservatives regarding their handling of disaster relief efforts. Many survivors expressed frustration, including a North Carolina man whose home was flooded.
After calling FEMA, he learned he was 675th in line. This has highlighted the backlog that has drawn increasing scrutiny of the agency’s response.
Former President Donald Trump also criticized the federal response. He described it as “terrible” and added to complaints that some relief workers may lack direction and sit idle.
FEMA reported staffing shortages weeks after the two hurricanes ravaged six states. The Small Business Administration (SBA) even exhausted its emergency loan funds.
FEMA stated it was currently responding to 110 major disasters with only about 530 workers available for new assignments. For comparison, during peak hurricane response efforts in 2017, the agency had over 1,700 workers on standby.
Officials at FEMA acknowledged the strain, admitting that the agency remained understaffed. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently warned FEMA might not have sufficient funds for the remainder of the hurricane season.
Despite challenges, FEMA has continued providing aid. It reported $1.2 billion in relief distributed to survivors in the six hardest-hit states.
However, the scale of devastation has been overwhelming. More than 100 people lost their lives in North Carolina alone. Hurricane Helene claimed 229 lives across seven states.
Brock Long, a former FEMA administrator, called the agency a “broken system,” noting that FEMA employees are overextended as they manage every aspect of disaster recovery.
With Tropical Storm Rafael forming in the Caribbean, officials and residents were reminded of the urgency of FEMA’s role in disaster preparedness and response. Although Rafael’s path remained uncertain, forecasters monitored its movement northward toward Jamaica and Cuba.
For now, FEMA pledged to remain in impacted communities as long as necessary. However, without additional resources, questions lingered over the agency’s capacity to respond effectively to the next disaster.