Federal government on the ground for Milton response, back-to-back hurricanes in southeast US

WASHINGTON — As Hurricane Milton courses through Florida, the federal government says they’re already on the ground and ready to provide assistance.

Channel 2 Washington Correspondent Nicole D’Antonio went over the steps being taken to help as the storm impacts the state by United States emergency response agencies.

“I want the people to hear it from me directly: FEMA is ready,” Deanne Criswell, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said in an interview with CNN before the storm made landfall.

FEMA is already there, with the agency saying it’s ready to respond before, during and after Milton’s path through Florida.

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The storm comes last thousands of emergency workers are already deployed across the state in response to Hurricane Helene.

As Milton makes its way through Florida from one coast to the other, experts warn it could be one of the strongest storms to ever hit the state.

FEMA crews were already on the scene, setting up multiple staging teams to provide essentials like food and water to impacted residents, but they also urged people to evacuate while there was time.

“The majority of the fatalities come from the storm surge come from the water, so if you’re just gonna have wind, you can hide from the wind, you can stay secure in your area, but if you’re in those storm surge of evacuation areas, those are the ones where we see the loss of life,” Criswell said.

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Milton comes back-to-back after Hurricane Helene, which has already been confirmed to have killed more than 200 people and caused widespread damage across multiple states.

FEMA emergency responders insist they have the resources they need to respond immediately, though it’s likely that U.S. Congress will have to approve additional funding in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden also spoke about efforts to combat mis- and disinformation about the storm, and storm response.

“It’s undermining confidence in the incredible rescue and recovery work that has already been taken and will continue to be taken and it’s harmful to those who need help the most,” Biden said.

The president canceled a planned overseas trip to remain in Washington and monitor storm updates.

The White House said they’ve also launched a special Reddit account to give updates on recovery and response efforts to Hurricane Milton, adding that it’s part of the mission to combat disinformation during the devastating storm.

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