FEMA spokesman talks Hurricane Michael recovery efforts
Hurricane Michael leaves behind destruction across Florida Panhandle; FEMA spokesman David Passey shares an update on the greatest challenges the agency faces.
Federal Emergency Management Agency spoke to Fox News on Sunday about recovery efforts to areas that took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael and its 155 mph winds last week.
FEMA spokesman David Passey said from the Florida Panhandle: “The greatest challenge right now is the magnitude and the concentration of the damage across the states that were impacted by Hurricane Michael.”
He noted on "America's News HQ" that thousands of crews in the area have been working to restore power and communications, “so that people can connect their family, and they can begin the recovery process.”
Search and rescue teams are focused on FEMA’s operation of sustaining life.
He added: “We are confident that the number of people not yet accounted for will decline as family members can reconnect.”
Investigators have said it’s been difficult to predict accurate injuries and deaths from the storm. More than a dozen people are confirmed dead.
Also Sunday, FEMA Administrator Brock Long said the biggest frustrations of his job are needless deaths: “We can’t replace lives.”
In a news conference with Rick Scott, Florida’s Republican governor, Long added: “We can rebuild all of this stuff … but I cannot replace your life.” He noted 14-foot waves shoved buildings out of the way, and authorities are fearing a high-fatality rate because people didn’t heed warnings and evacuate.
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Scott added that hurricane-flattened Mexico Beach, a Florida Panhandle town of about 1,000 people, has been left with heavy debris and rubble, with some homes blown across the street.
It’s critical to prepare ahead of time for the disasters that Americans face, Passey also noted to Fox News.
FEMA is providing water and food to victims, he said, and the National Guard is in charge of distribution.
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President Trump plans to visit Florida and Georgia on Monday to see the damage.
Passey told Fox News that FEMA and other agencies will be present there for months to aid recovery.
Fox News' Eric Shawn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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