In recent weeks, communities across the southeast of the United States have been ravaged by an onslaught of hurricanes. From Florida’s Big Bend region to Southern Virginia, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton have damaged hundreds of homes and businesses resulting in at least $20 billion of property damage.
Far more tragic, however, is the enormous number of lives lost to these tragedies. Hurricane Milton has already taken at least 24 lives as of October 19th while Helene took nearly 230, making it the most destructive mainland hurricane in the country since Hurricane Katrina.
In the wake of this catastrophe, local communities have been looking to the federal government for rescue, aid, and financial relief. So what exactly has the government done to support these people?
The Biden-Harris Administration has moved swiftly to aid survivors of Hurricane Helene, with relief efforts for the disaster currently exceeding $1.1 billion. As of October 13th, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has shipped millions of meals and gallons of water across five states affected by the category three hurricane. The White House has also dispatched over 6,000 members of the National Guard and 1,300 members of the U.S. Coast Guard to rescue and support those who have lost their homes and families to Helene.
The federal government has also approved a large recovery plan of over $620 million to support those affected by Hurricane Milton. In addition to this substantial relief effort, the Small Businesses Administration (SBA) has provided $48 million in disaster loan funding for those affected by the tragedy.
Beyond these financial initiatives, the Biden-Harris Administration has sent over 6,500 National Guardsmen accompanied by hundreds of high-water vehicles and dozens of helicopters to provide on-the-ground relief to communities in Florida and North Carolina. Active forces from the U.S. Army North and U.S. Northern Command are also standing by to provide additional aid if needed.
In total, nearly $2 billion is being spent by the Biden-Harris Administration to provide swift and robust means of financial support to communities that have been ravaged by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Nearly 13,000 members of the National Guard across 12 states along with hundreds of vehicles and specialized personnel have been distributed to help survivors in the wake of this disaster.
While it may take more time and federal dollars to fully rebuild in the aftermath of these natural disasters, the U.S. government has provided affected communities with both the money and manpower to emerge from these tragedies stronger than before.
