Just two weeks ago Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southeastern US. Amidst recovery and aid efforts, a new threat emerged on the horizon. Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday Oct. 9, as a category 3 hurricane.
Damage is still being assessed but at the time of writing, combined death tolls have reached roughly 250 people according to the Associated Press with 30 million Americans remaining without power.
President Biden gave remarks on Thursday Oct. 10 assuring Florida residents and others who had been affected, “We’ve got your back.” Biden also said his administration would offer support “for as long as it takes to rescue, recover and rebuild.”
The hurricanes have also affected Wesleyan students from Florida, “I feel nervous for my immediate family who are in Miami and Ft. Charlotte,” said Francesca Figuroa-Diaz ‘25, a Florida resident. “We usually experience flooding and property damage so I hope to go back to Miami and see successful restoration efforts.”
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Association, has already spent half of its relief budget according to spending reports and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “I’m going to have to evaluate how quickly we’re burning the remaining dollars in the Disaster Relief Fund,” she said in a White House briefing shortly before Milton’s landfall.
When Figuroa-Diaz was asked about the effectiveness of relief efforts she said, “I think it depends on the severity of damage to infrastructure. It can be really difficult to be effective when people refuse to evacuate amid severe flooding.”
The destruction wrought by the hurricane has also greatly affected small businesses. President Biden shared a letter with Congress that warned that small business loan funding “could run out in a matter of weeks.”
Figuroa-Diaz also shared an update on her family’s experience. “My family is doing alright but they’re anxious to hear from their friends and family that were in the path of the hurricane,” she said.“My mom’s cousin operates a veterinary facility and he had to evacuate without the animals in the clinic.”
Figuroa-Diaz also shared some words of encouragement to her fellow Floridians, “I hope everyone’s families and communities are safe and secure. If not, I hope they have a swift and peaceful recovery as they put their lives back together.”