Record # Of Counties Flood Disaster Areas Jan-Jun; 1/4 Of FEMA Staff Available For Deployment

[hatrack]

A record number of counties were declared major flood disasters in the first six months of 2019, leaving the Federal Emergency Management Agency with only one-quarter of its disaster workforce available as peak hurricane season approaches.

President Trump declared major disasters or emergencies in 483 counties that were flooded between Jan. 1 and June 30, according to an E&E News analysis of federal data. That breaks the old record — set in the first six months of 1973 — when federal flood disasters were declared in 435 counties. The United States has 3,141 counties.

The flooding, largely caused by the overflowing Mississippi and Missouri rivers, threatens to strain FEMA's personnel and finances at the height of storm season. And it could repeat a scenario in 2017 when FEMA struggled to respond to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

FEMA workers are currently spread across 36 states and territories to deal with 67 disasters and emergencies, according to the agency's daily operations briefing yesterday. Only 3,400 of FEMA's 13,500 disaster workers are available for deployment. That's much worse than two years ago when on July 1, 2017, FEMA personnel were working on 23 disasters in 16 states and more than half of FEMA's disaster workforce was available. When three major hurricanes hit in August and September 2017, FEMA had to undertake what it called "extraordinary and disruptive measures" to move employees from around the United States to Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

EDIT

https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060683093

[mountain grammy]

1. another undercovered story that will have huge consequences.