After 2 Hurricanes, FEMA Will Urgently Need Funding From Congress, Mayorkas Says

He said FEMA has the resources to respond to ’the immediate needs of individuals’ impacted by the storms but will need more funding ’very rapidly.’

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas addresses the 36th annual candlelight vigil to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty on the National Mall in Washington on May 13, 2024. Andrew thomas/AFP via Getty Images

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed on Oct. 10 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will need more funding as soon as possible following hurricanes Milton and Helene.

Helene dealt widespread damage across the southern United States, doing its worst in western North Carolina, after making landfall late last month. Milton slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast as a category 3 hurricane late on Oct. 9, and officials have not fully surveyed the extent of the damage.