Irma looms as FEMA still focused on responding to Harvey

FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2017, file photo, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long speaks during a news conference in Washington. At FEMA headquarters, top officials responsible for responding to large-scale public emergencies meet regularly to conduct drills and update plans covering numerous worst-case scenarios. That includes what to do if two massive hurricanes strike the U.S. mainland within days, 1,000 miles apart. Those plans are now being put into action as Hurricane Irma bears down on the Florida coast less than a week after Hurricane Harvey flooded much of Houston. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2017, file photo, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long speaks during a news conference in Washington. At FEMA headquarters, top officials responsible for responding to large-scale public emergencies meet regularly to conduct drills and update plans covering numerous worst-case scenarios. That includes what to do if two massive hurricanes strike the U.S. mainland within days, 1,000 miles apart. Those plans are now being put into action as Hurricane Irma bears down on the Florida coast less than a week after Hurricane Harvey flooded much of Houston. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

By Associated Press September 7, 2017 4 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Faced with the looming threat of dual disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has ramped up preparations for Hurricane Irma as it barrels toward the Florida coast, even as the agency continues the massive recovery effort in storm-battered Texas.

It was a one-two punch of powerful storms certain to strain the agency’s quickly dwindling coffers.

The roughly $1 billion left in FEMA’s Emergency Response Fund was expected to run out as soon as the end of the week, just as Category 5 Irma could be pounding Florida and less than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey caused massive flooding in Houston.

The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed $7.9 billion in Harvey disaster relief as warring Republicans and Democrats united to help victims of that storm in Texas and Louisiana. The 419-3 vote sent the aid package – likely the first of several – to the Senate in hopes of getting the bill to the president before FEMA runs out of money.

Far more money will be needed once more complete estimates of Harvey’s damage are in this fall. The storm’s wrath could end up exceeding the $110 billion federal cost of recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.