Biden declares emergency in Florida and assures that FEMA has sufficient funds to deal with Hurricane Milton

President Joe Biden on Monday signed an emergency declaration for Florida in response to the threat imposed by impending Hurricane Milton, which is rapidly approaching the state's coast and assured that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sufficient funds to support the response to Hurricane Milton, as well as continued assistance to victims of Hurricane Helene.

Federal Emergency and additional support

The emergency declaration, issued from the White House, authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to deploy additional resources to support communities that will be affected. In addition, additional federal funds will be allocated to more than 30 counties, including Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Hillsborough.

According to the White House release, "FEMA is supporting the State of Florida to speed up debris removal from Hurricane Helene in the Tampa region in advance of Milton's landfall, and is surging additional resources to the area," noting that the agency has sufficient funds "to support first responders and provide immediate assistance to disaster survivors."

This new federal assistance complements the activation of 4,000 National Guard members, a measure already taken by Governor Ron DeSantis to respond to the emergency.

Urgent evacuations

Faced with the growing threat, Florida authorities issued orders for mass evacuation in several coastal counties. The governor urged residents to follow directions, warning that "time is running out." Kevin Guthrie, executive director of Florida Emergency Management, stressed the importance of evacuating in time, noting that "drowning deaths due to storm surge are 100% preventable if you leave."

Counties such as Hillsborough, Pinellas and Sarasota are under mandatory evacuation orders, while other areas, such as Glades and Okeechobee, face voluntary evacuations. Authorities have urged residents of vulnerable areas to seek safe havens outside the risk area.

Imminent threat

Hurricane Miltonwas intensified to a Category 5 on Monday, prompting warnings along the entire Florida coast. It is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, with a high risk of dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay. Forecasts indicate that while Milton may weaken slightly as it crosses the state, it will remain a major hurricane.

As Milton progresses, forecasters anticipate that its path will continue into the Atlantic, reducing the impact on other southeastern states. However, the risk of flooding, extreme winds and severe damage keeps communities on high alert.

Hurricane Helene recovery

Hurricane Milton comes at a critical time, as Florida and neighboring states such as Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina are still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene, which struck the region just over a week ago. That storm left more than 200 dead and caused severe damage to critical infrastructure, intensifying the region's vulnerability to Milton.