As Florida braces for yet another catastrophic hurricane, federal relief funds are running short and disinformation is running wild. The chaos highlights the distinct challenges the nation faces as climate-fueled disasters become more frequent and intense. The country's main federal disaster programs simultaneously face financial instability — a first, writes Thomas Frank. Meanwhile, federal emergency responders are struggling to do their job amid a swirl of conspiracy theories from conservative influencers, write Adam Aton, Scott Waldman and Andres Picon. Two weeks after Hurricane Helene decimated the Southeast, Hurricane Milton is set to crash into Florida’s Gulf Coast around Wednesday night. While the Category 5 storm may weaken before making landfall, it could double in size, the National Hurricane Center warned — meaning its force could extend hundreds of miles out from its center. No matter what, forecasters said it will be “an extremely dangerous hurricane when it reaches shore,” with “devastating” winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge pushing water levels up to 15 feet above ground in some areas. “This could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century,” President Joe Biden told reporters during a White House briefing today. “God willing it won’t be, but that’s what it is looking like right now.” The back-to-back hurricanes are colliding with long-standing weaknesses in federal programs that help fund the rebuilding of damaged infrastructure, such as roads, water treatment plants and homes. Those include the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster fund, the Small Business Administration’s loans to stricken businesses and homeowners and the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA officials have sought to reassure the public that the agency has enough money to meet its “life-saving” responsibilities. But Elizabeth Zimmerman, who ran FEMA’s disaster response office in the Obama administration, said Washington’s ability to pay for recovery after the hurricanes remains “a big concern.” While lawmakers from both parties are urging Congress to return before the November election to approve additional disaster funding, House Speaker Mike Johnson said this weekend that he had no plans to bring his members back. Meanwhile, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said an onslaught of disinformation around Hurricane Helene is dissuading some survivors from seeking help and hurting morale among responders. Many of the false claims can be traced back to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his supporters, who have baselessly accused federal responders of diverting disaster money to immigrants. “It is absolutely the worst I have ever seen,” Criswell told reporters this morning.
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