Mayorkas confirms FEMA has funding for Hurricanes Milton and Helene plus tornadoes

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reassured Florida residents Thursday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has enough money to help residents affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, along with recent tornadoes caused by Milton.

Mayorkas previously indicated the agency did not have enough money to get through the remainder of the hurricane season, which ends in November, and urged Congress to return to session and allocate more money for disaster relief .

The secretary reiterated the call to Congress on Thursday, but said there was enough for “immediate needs.”

“We have the resources to respond to the immediate needs of individuals affected by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, and … the tornadoes associated with the hurricane,” Mayorkas said during a news conference. “That said, we will need additional money, and we implore Congress when it returns to actually fund FEMA as needed.”

The comment comes after FEMA revealed that only eight percent of its frontline personnel were available to assist with Hurricane Milton. Mayorkas himself is in North Carolina to oversee the federal response to Hurricane Helene.

Florida’s GOP Governor Ron DeSantis has deployed 10,000 National Guard members to help Milton, including 3,000 sent from other states. Milton only hit Florida, but also spawned at least 19 tornadoes before making landfall on Wednesday.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. That’s possible follow her on X for more coverage.