The next is a transcript of an interview with FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Sept. 29, 2024.
ROBERT COSTA : Welcome again to Face The Nation. We flip now to the devastation of Hurricane Helene. She made landfall in Florida early Friday and swept by southeastern states. The harm has been monumental when it comes to the loss of life toll and lack of properties and companies. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell joins us now for an replace on the restoration efforts. Administrator, thanks for being right here. What are you able to share concerning the newest loss of life toll from this devastating hurricane?
FEMA ADMINISTRATOR DEANNE CRISWELL: Good morning, Robert. Proper now I am right here in Florida, and I imagine yesterday, as I traveled with the governor to evaluate damages there, he accounted for 11 deaths right here. However I’d seek advice from the states for the precise numbers, as a result of there’s- they’re those which are monitoring this. However what I can inform you is we’re getting stories of a number of fatalities throughout the 5 states
ROBERT COSTA: Which areas have been hardest hit?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: So this has been, Robert, a real multi-state occasion we now have seen, I’ve seen, my staff on the bottom has seen vital impacts in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. I noticed the impacts right here in Florida yesterday. I am touring to Georgia at the moment, so I can see the impacts firsthand there. And I will be in North Carolina on Monday, so I can assess the impacts there. However we’re listening to vital infrastructure harm to water techniques, communication, roads, essential transportation routes, in addition to a number of properties which have been simply destroyed by this. So that is going to be a extremely sophisticated restoration in every of those 5 states which have had these impacts.
ROBERT COSTA: And the place has the flooding been worse? The place do you see actual downside areas nonetheless at this second?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: Nicely, right here in Florida, they’d as much as 15 toes of storm surge in Taylor County, which is the place I used to be at with the governor yesterday. These are file storm surges throughout the Huge Bend space. I heard stories of as much as 9 toes of storm surge within the St Pete Seaside space in North Carolina. We’re nonetheless in lively search and rescue mode. They’re nonetheless having flooding points and landslides, and so we’re nonetheless actively engaged on search and rescue missions up in North Carolina, we have had vital wind and flooding harm once more in all 5 of those states.
ROBERT COSTA: Was North Carolina specifically, ready for this degree of flooding? Have they ever handled something at this magnitude?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: That is actually, Robert, historic flooding up in North Carolina, particularly this western a part of North Carolina. I do not know that anyone could possibly be totally ready for the quantity of flooding and landslides that they’re experiencing proper now, however we now have had groups in there for a number of days. We’re sending extra search and rescue groups in there. Water is a giant concern proper now as nicely, and so we now have despatched bottled water in, however we even have the Military Corps of Engineers that is on the brink of begin assessments at the moment to see what we are able to do to assist get these water techniques again on-line shortly. And we’re additionally transferring in satellite tv for pc communications, Starlink satellites, into the realm to assist facilitate the dearth of communication that a part of the state is experiencing.
ROBERT COSTA: What are you seeing when it comes to well being penalties from this hurricane, when it comes to water high quality, entry to meals, entry to medication?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: All of it’s having actually vital impacts. We all know that many healthcare techniques have been impacted, and so we even have well being care evaluation groups which are assessing the hospitals and the power to help the folks which are experiencing impacts from this storm. There are a number of boil water notices throughout all 5 states, and in order that’s why we’re bringing in groups to assist assess these water techniques, to see what we are able to do to get them again on-line as shortly as we are able to, however we’re additionally, once more, bringing within the commodities
ROBERT COSTA: How do you conceptualize this storm within the broader query of local weather change?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: Nicely, I believe what we’re seeing, Robert is, you understand, this storm took some time to develop, however as soon as it did, it developed and intensified very quickly, and that is due to the nice and cozy waters within the Gulf and so it is creating extra storms which are reaching this main class degree than we have seen up to now. It is also creating larger quantities of storm surge within the coastal areas. It is creating larger quantities of rainfall because it strikes up north. And so up to now, once we would have a look at harm from hurricanes, it was primarily wind harm, with some water harm, however now we’re seeing a lot extra water harm, and I believe that could be a results of the nice and cozy waters, which is a results of local weather change.
ROBERT COSTA: And right here in Washington, the query now turns to sources. Does FEMA have what it must cope with this degree of storm, this second in historical past, with this type of hurricane?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: Nicely, we completely have sufficient sources from throughout the federal household. FEMA is one a part of the staff, and we now have the power to herald all of our staff members from many different federal businesses to help this response. As we transfer into restoration, we are able to pivot these sources to assist help that restoration portion. Restoration could be sophisticated. These 5 states are going to have very sophisticated recoveries, however we are going to proceed to convey these sources in to assist them, technical help as they’re making an attempt to establish the most effective methods to rebuild.
ROBERT COSTA: Administrator Criswell, we recognize your time and greatest needs to all of these serving to these in want on this space of the nation. A troublesome second, we’ll be proper again.