FEMA criticized over unanswered calls after hurricanes

[Jack]

FEMA IS UNDER FIRE AFTER NEW DATA REVEALS THAT NEARLY HALF OF CALLS FOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE HELENE AND MILTON WENT UNANSWERED.

ALMOST HALF OF ALL CALLERS NEVER CONNECTED WITH A FEDERAL WORKER, AND THOSE WHO DID HAD TO WAIT MORE THAN AN HOUR ON AVERAGE TO GET THROUGH.

THIS REPORT COMES AT A TIME WHEN THE HARRIS-BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS FACING HEAVY CRITICISM FROM CONSERVATIVES OVER THEIR HANDLING OF DISASTER RELIEF.

MANY SURVIVORS HAVE REPORTED FRUSTRATION, LIKE ONE MAN IN NORTH CAROLINA WHOSE HOME WAS FLOODED. HE CALLED FEMA, ONLY TO FIND OUT HE WAS 675TH IN LINE.

THIS BACKLOG IS FUELING CRITICISM AS THE AGENCY GRAPPLES WITH PROVIDING AID.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CRITICIZED THE FEDERAL RESPONSE, CALLING IT ‘TERRIBLE’ AND ADDING FUEL TO COMPLAINTS THAT SOME RELIEF WORKERS MAY BE SITTING IDLE, WAITING FOR DIRECTION.

SOT: (1:06-1:33) Former President Donald Trump

“WELL I THINK YOU HAVE TO…THEY’RE ALSO COMPLAINING”

FEMA REPORTED STAFFING SHORTAGES JUST WEEKS AFTER THE TWO HURRICANES DAMAGED SIX STATES, AND THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION HAS EVEN RUN OUT OF FUNDS FOR EMERGENCY LOANS.

THE AGENCY IS CURRENTLY RESPONDING TO 110 MAJOR DISASTERS AND HAS ONLY ABOUT 530 WORKERS AVAILABLE FOR NEW ASSIGNMENTS.

FOR PERSPECTIVE, AT THE PEAK OF HURRICANE RESPONSE EFFORTS IN 2017, THERE WERE OVER 1,700 WORKERS ON STANDBY.

EVEN FEMA OFFICIALS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THE STRAIN. THEY ADMIT THE AGENCY IS CURRENTLY UNDERSTAFFED, AND HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKASRECENTLY WARNED THAT FEMA MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO GET THROUGH THE REST OF HURRICANE SEASON.

FEMA HAS BEEN WORKING TO PROVIDE AID, REPORTING $1.2 BILLION IN RELIEF SENT TO SURVIVORS IN THE SIX HARDEST-HIT STATES. BUT THE SCALE OF THE DISASTER HAS BEEN STAGGERING — MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES IN NORTH CAROLINA ALONE, AND HELENE CLAIMED A TOTAL OF 229 LIVES ACROSS SEVEN STATES.

BROCK LONG, A FORMER FEMA ADMINISTRATOR, CALLS THE AGENCY A ‘BROKEN SYSTEM,’ SAYING FEMA EMPLOYEES ARE OVERWHELMED TRYING TO HANDLE EVERY ASPECT OF DISASTER RECOVERY. https://thehill.com/opinion/4943464-fema-disaster-funding-reform/

AND NOW, WITH ANOTHER POTENTIAL HURRICANE E — TROPICAL STORM RAFAEL — FORMING IN THE CARIBBEAN, PEOPLE ARE BEING REMINDED OF JUST HOW QUICKLY THESE SITUATIONS CAN ESCALATE.

ALTHOUGH IT’S UNCLEAR WHERE RAFAEL WILL HEAD, FORECASTERS ARE MONITORING ITS ACTIVITY AS IT MOVES NORTH TOWARDS JAMAICA AND CUBA.

FOR NOW, FEMA SAYS IT WILL STAY IN IMPACTED COMMUNITIES AS LONG AS NEEDED, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT WITHOUT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, THE AGENCY’S ABILITY TO RESPOND TO THE NEXT DISASTER REMAINS IN QUESTION.

WE’LL KEEP AN EYE ON THIS SITUATION AS IT UNFOLDS.

FOR SAN, I’M JACK AYLMER