WASHINGTON -- As FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell continues to lead the federal response to Helene and Milton in six states, today she is in Virginia to meet survivors and local officials as they continue their recovery from Helene.

In Virginia, the administrator visited affected communities with Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Earlier in the week she and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in Buncombe County to speak with disaster survivors and meet staff at a local high school as part of the recovery.

Critical services continue being restored. The Commonwealth of Virginia is focused on debris removal, particularly in lakes that provide the commonwealth a source of drinking water. Removing debris will also reduce threats to public health and safety. In Florida—hit by both storms—power outages have been reduced to about 17,000, down from a peak of 3.2 million. And in North Carolina, approximately 13,000 customers remain without power, down from a peak of about 1 million customers without power. 

In total, about 433,000 households have been approved for nearly $619 million in FEMA assistance for their Helene recovery while 61,000 households have received $54 million for Milton. Survivors are using these funds to replace essential items, pay for somewhere to stay and make home repairs.

Hurricane Milton survivors in 34 Florida counties and one Tribal Nation can register for federal disaster assistance. On Oct. 11, President Jospeh R. Biden, Jr., approved a major disaster declaration for Florida following the hurricane. President Biden previously approved federal disaster assistance in six states affected by Helene. This opens up federal help for survivors in designated areas in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the Operation Blue Tarp which is a free service to homeowners. Residents impacted by Hurricane Milton can sign-up at www.blueroof.gov, or by calling 888-ROOF-BLU (888-766-3258). The initial sign-up period is set for 21 days and ends Nov. 5. The Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Milton currently identified for the program include: Brevard, Citrus, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia.

FEMA encourages Helene and Milton survivors to apply online as this remains the best way to apply for disaster assistance. Here are the ways to apply for federal assistance: 

·         Apply online at disasterassistance.gov

·         Call 800-621-3362

·         Use the FEMA App

·         Visit a Disaster Recovery Center to talk with FEMA and state agency officials and apply for assistance

In total, over 8,200 federal personnel—including 4,300 FEMA staff—are in communities in these states supporting the ongoing response and recovery efforts. 

These photos highlight response and recovery efforts across states impacted by Helene and Milton.

FEMA’s Disaster Multimedia Toolkit page provides graphics, social media copy and sample text in multiple languages. In addition, FEMA has set up a rumor control web page to reduce confusion about its role in the Helene response.