WASHINGTON — Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said Tuesday that rumors and disinformation will become a lasting part of disaster response in the future, and she rebuked those seeking to profit politically from spreading false information.
The amount and type of misinformation spreading about FEMA as Southeastern states deal with Hurricane Helene is the worst misinformation Criswell has found in her lifetime, following a “steady increase” in rumors related to previous natural disasters.
Misinformation about FEMA and its response to natural disasters is spreading through a variety of channels, including social media, podcasts, and numerous comments and posts by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Criswell did not name any politicians or other people while speaking to reporters.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Milton is here sailing towards Gulf Coas, Floridati is expected to make landfall on Wednesday evening. Meteorologists warn of a storm may be one of the worst in Florida. Thousands of people were evacuated on Tuesday.
Criswell expressed concerns that lies about various aspects of FEMA’s response to Hurricane Helene could have a chilling effect on whether disaster victims apply for aid. It could also potentially pose a risk to first responders on the ground.
“It’s really demoralizing for them. It hurts their morale and they left their families to be able to come here and help people,” she said of first responders and FEMA staff.
While no one has so far physically attacked FEMA staff or other emergency responders, Criswell said she and others are closely monitoring the misinformation and people’s responses to it in disaster areas.
FEMA’s cooperation with local law enforcement can facilitate monitor safety and security issues, although rumors and misinformation can make the situation worse, she said.
“If the fear is so great that my employees don’t want to go out into the field, we won’t be able to help people,” Criswell said, adding that she does have concerns about “the safety of our people who are walking through neighborhoods that may, but They don’t have to have full confidence in the government.”
“That’s why we’re watching this closely to make sure we’re keeping them safe as well,” she said.
Helene brought destruction to many states, including: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee AND Virginia. Over 230 deaths have been reported.
Storm victims
Criswell said rumors and misleading information about FEMA’s response and recovery efforts “create fear in some” people trying to navigate the hurricane recovery process.
“I’m worried that they won’t apply for help, which means I won’t be able to provide them with the things they need,” Criswell said. “So these are the biggest impacts that I see as a result of this ongoing narrative that is more about politics than really helping people.”
She said the current situation is worse than ever.
“We have always created rumor control sites because there have always been people who have tried to take advantage of those who have just lost so much by creating fake websites and trying to get information from them and deceiving people and the federal government,” Criswell said. “So it’s not something new, but the level of rhetoric is just increasing.”
Following the August 2023 Maui wildfires, federal officials worked with local officials to reassure Hawaiians that the rumors and misinformation that spread following the disaster were not true.
Some of disinformation about the fires on Maui they came from “overseas entities,” Criswell said.
Eventually, FEMA was able to provide federal aid to everyone who needed it, but it took much longer than it otherwise would have, she added.
The first aid that people in hard-hit areas often receive from FEMA is a $750 payment to facilitate with immediate needs such as water, food, clothing and medicine.
There is a lot of false information about this amount. During the call, Criswell explained that this is the first installment from FEMA and that more aid will be provided to those affected by natural disasters as the recovery process progresses.
“We know they have immediate needs in the first few days, and this is just the beginning to help them meet some of those needs,” Criswell said.
As FEMA collects more information about property damage and other disaster-related issues, people will likely receive additional facilitate with home repairs, as well as hotel coverage if their home is severely damaged.
FEMA then continues to work with people on long-term needs, such as rental assistance, if needed.
FEMA does set up a website to dispel rumors and misinformation about its response and recovery efforts.
He says that in most cases, the money FEMA gives to disaster survivors does not have to be repaid, and notes that the agency “cannot seize your property or land.”
“There are less common situations in which you may have to pay FEMA back if you receive double insurance benefits or a stipend from another source. For example, if you have insurance that covers your temporary housing costs, but you request an advance payment from FEMA for an amount to help you cover those costs due to an insurance delay, you will need to repay that money to FEMA once you receive your insurance settlement.”
The website also states that no disaster relief funds have been allocated to address border security or immigration issues.
“This is false. No funds are allocated to respond to natural disasters. FEMA’s disaster response and individual assistance efforts are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a fund set aside for disaster-related activities. Money from the Disaster Relief Fund has not been diverted to other non-disaster related activities.
Questions about financing
FEMA has plenty of funding to cover response and recovery efforts for more than 100 open disasters across the country, but it will need additional funding from Congress in the coming months.
“I have sufficient funding to continue to support the response efforts for both of these events and then continue to support the recovery efforts from all the storms that have hit across the country,” Criswell said, referring to hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“However, I will not be able to support these recoveries for long without additional support,” she added. “We also anticipate that additional funding will be needed in December and January, otherwise I will have to go back to what is called urgent needs funding, where we pause commitments on our recovery projects to ensure I can respond to such an event as we see today.”
The first step for Congress to approve emergency funding for FEMA or any other federal agency is typically for the Office of Management and Budget to send a request for additional spending to lawmakers on behalf of the White House.
Lawmakers can then choose to write laws providing some, all, or more of the money than requested. They may also decide not to fund the emergency request, although this seems unlikely this time.
Right now, FEMA has a disaster relief fund of about $20 billion, she said.
People needing assistance from FEMA should call 1-800-621-3362 and register at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or complete the application in the FEMA application.
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