John

As the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season continues its relentless assault on American communities, our elected officials are busy campaigning instead of delivering the critical assistance these devastated areas desperately need.

The devastation brought by Hurricanes Helene, Milton, and now Leslie forming is truly staggering. Hundreds of thousands remain without power across multiple states. Entire towns lie submerged. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but early estimates put it in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

To make matters worse, FEMA's disaster relief fund is dangerously depleted after an extraordinarily active hurricane season. The agency has already had to impose spending limits, severely compromising its ability to respond to these catastrophes and any future emergencies.

Americans in these storms' paths aren't getting a vacation from this nightmare. They're living it every minute of every day as they try to salvage what's left of their shattered lives. The least Congress can do is cut short their campaigning to provide desperately needed aid.

Call on Congress to return to D.C. immediately and pass additional disaster relief funding. Countless lives depend on it.

For only the sixth time since 1950, we've seen multiple Category 5 hurricanes in a single season. Warmer oceans are supercharging these storms. This is climate change in action, and it's only going to get worse.

Congress needs to wake up to this new reality. The old playbook for disaster response is woefully inadequate. We need a fundamental reimagining of how we prepare for and recover from these mega-storms. That starts with a relief package that matches the unprecedented scale of this crisis.

This hurricane season is a clear illustration of how climate change is fueling more frequent and intense storms. Hurricane Milton became one of the most intense hurricanes on record. Helene tied as the 14th most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. since records began. And Leslie is gaining strength.

Without immediate Congressional action to provide substantial additional resources, the suffering of hurricane victims will only be prolonged and intensified. Now it's time for members of both parties to come together and do their jobs.

Tell Congress to get their priorities straight. People's lives are more important than a few days of campaigning. They must return to DC and pass substantial additional emergency funding now.

Together, we can hold our elected officials accountable and ensure the victims of Hurricanes get the help they urgently need.

- Amanda

Amanda Ford, Director
Democracy for America
Advocacy Fund