Federal funding to assist states affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton totals nearly $2 billion

By REBECCA SANTANA

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government has approved nearly $2 billion in aid in six states to help people hit hard by hurricanes Helene and Milton, the White House said Wednesday.

The federal government has been under intense pressure to show it is providing aid to areas devastated by back-to-back hurricanes in late September and early October, as it warns more money is needed to fund the response.

As the U.S. agency tasked with responding to disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been combating misinformation since Helene arrived in Florida. The false claims are being stoked by former President Donald Trump and others just before the presidential election.

Helene was a Category 4 storm that first hit Florida’s Gulf Coast on September 26, dumping trillions of gallons of rain and leaving a trail of destruction for hundreds of miles across several states. Two weeks later, Hurricane Milton hit Florida.

Hurricane response has become a major part of the upcoming presidential election, with Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris both positioning themselves as the best candidates to respond to such disasters.

Funds approved so far include funds that will go to residents for things like rent refunds if they can’t live in their home or quick cash infusions of $750 to pay for things like diapers or food. This also includes money for public assistance, such as reimbursing local governments for debris removal or repairing public infrastructure such as roads, bridges or schools.

According to the White House press release, about $911 million was spent on damage caused by Hurricane Helene, while about $620 million was spent on recovery from Hurricane Milton. Other funds went toward things like agricultural aid. The six states where the money went are Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

The news follows Tuesday’s announcement that the Small Business Administration has run out of money for the disaster relief loans it offers to small businesses, homeowners and renters. To date, the SBA has offered $48 million in loans to survivors of the two hurricanes, the release said.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has repeatedly said her agency has enough money in its disaster relief fund to help Helene and Milton. But Criswell has said the agency will ultimately need additional funding from Congress. If that doesn’t happen, FEMA would invest in so-called “emergency needs funding,” meaning it would stop making payments for previous disasters and reserve its money for life-saving operations in new disasters.