August 25, 2023
You may have heard the FEMA director warn that the disaster fund is running out of money. And if congress doesn’t pass a spending bill — by mid-September, that funding could lapse.
So what does that mean for Maui and the relief efforts there? Or what happens if another natural disaster hits?
I sat down with the associate administrator for FEMA and asked her.
I told you in this video a few weeks ago that the President asked Congress for an additional $12 billion for FEMA in his supplemental budget request because of the unprecedented amount of natural disasters the government has been responding to and the extraordinarily high cost of those disasters…so the question is…
Speaking of money – I also asked what was up with that $700 payment FEMA gave to the Maui fire victims.
But the only way to get any of this help is to register with FEMA so they know who you are, what exactly you lost and can tell you what resources you’re entitled to. If you are a Maui disaster victim, you can either visit disasterassistance.gov or you can call 800 621 3362.
The challenge is going to be in the next few weeks and months as the recovery and rebuilding efforts get underway. FEMA says it’s a job they take very seriously.
Now I spoke with the FEMA at length about a lot of things…including why it took the president almost two weeks to visit Maui, and why is it that people of Maui are so upset about the government’s response. If you want to watch my full interview it’s posted on YouTube and I will email it out to you tonight in my news girl news roundup email. It’s definitely worth a watch especially if you’re dealing with this Maui wildfire or you know someone who is.
