The US allocates almost $2 billion for recovery from hurricanes Helene and Milton

The United States government approved almost $2 billion in aid in six states to assist the most affected people by hurricanes Helene and Milton, the White House reported on Wednesday.

The federal government has come under intense pressure to show it is getting aid to areas devastated by the two hurricanes that hit in late September and early October, while warning that more money will be needed to fund the response.

As the agency charged with responding to disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has battled misinformation since Helene hit Florida. The false claims have been fueled by former President Donald Trump and others just weeks before the presidential election.

Helene was a Category 4 hurricane that hit the Florida coast in the Gulf of Mexico on September 26, dumping trillions of gallons of rain and leaving a trail of destruction hundreds of miles across several states. Hurricane Milton hit Florida two weeks later.

Hurricane response has become a key part of the upcoming presidential election, as Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris position themselves as the best candidate to respond to such issues.

The money approved so far includes funds that go to residents for things like rent refunds when they can’t live at home or quick injections of $750 in cash to pay for supplies like diapers or food.

It also includes money for public aid, such as reimbursing local governments for removing debris or repairing public infrastructure such as roads, bridges or schools.

About $911 million has been allocated to damage caused by Hurricane Helene, while about $620 million has been allocated to recovery from Hurricane Milton, according to the White House statement.

Other funds have been allocated to agricultural aid. The six states that have been given the money are: Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

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