FEMA's Colt Hagmaier speaks on how the agency is assisting with Debby response and recovery efforts, including food and shelter, as the storm slowly tracks across the Southeast U.S.
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00:00Colt, your team at FEMA is leading the response and recovery for Debbie.
00:04And what are some of the ways FEMA is accomplishing that mission?
00:08We have many FEMA employees and representatives from across the federal government
00:12all working in support of the states in the southeast that have requested our assistance.
00:16So we have been there from before the storm.
00:19We are right there alongside our state and local partners
00:22assessing what's needed and providing commodities and personnel and expertise.
00:27We have over a million meals ready to go, over 1.5 million liters of water,
00:31and over 700 responders in the southeast really in position for whatever's needed.
00:37All right, I'm going to ask you then for some more numbers.
00:38You just gave us some with all the supplies.
00:40But how many states have emergency declarations
00:43and have asked President Biden for federal assistance so far?
00:48So right now, the president has authorized emergency declarations for Florida,
00:52South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina.
00:55And what that assistance does is it provides reimbursement to states
00:59for emergency protective measures, things like supporting evacuations, supporting shelters.
01:04We are still there alongside the states, though, and we'll be doing damage assessments.
01:08And if additional assistance is warranted,
01:11we'll recommend that to the president upon the state's request.
01:14And the president will decide what additional assistance is needed.
01:17And we'll get the word out with our state and local partners when that becomes available.
01:21Right now, though, it's so important that people don't get relaxed,
01:24that they don't take this storm for granted, because as you just mentioned,
01:28it's going to dangerously linger.
01:30It's meandering off the coast.
01:31It very well may come back ashore.
01:33We're still looking at a lot of rainfall, not just in the southeast,
01:36but all along the mid-Atlantic and the northeast.
01:38So now's the time to be preparing, whether you're in the southeast or up along the coast.
01:43Take your preparedness seriously.
01:45Know where a safe spot is if you have to evacuate.
01:48And listen to state and local officials.