This week, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell ahead of the 2022 Hurricane Season, which begins on June 1st.
With inflation continuing to impact Americans, Scott wanted answers from Criswell on what FEMA is doing to ensure it has an adequate stockpile of supplies to support families who are unable to afford emergency supplies or may be displaced by hurricanes, and what it’s doing to prevent shortages of critical supplies in the aftermath of a disaster.
The letter is below.
Dear Administrator Criswell:
With the start of hurricane season rapidly approaching, Americans preparing for potential storms are facing skyrocketing prices and empty shelves, making it even more difficult to take the steps needed to keep their loved ones safe during and after a natural disaster. The pressures of inflation and supply shortages are felt to an even greater degree by those on low and fixed incomes and by small businesses working to help their communities prepare for possible disasters. These issues cannot be ignored, and demand action from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure that storm preparedness does not fall victim to President Biden’s raging inflation and supply chain crises.
As families in Florida and across the nation begin disaster preparations, I ask for your responses to the following questions:
· What is FEMA doing to ensure it has an adequate stockpile of emergency supplies to support families who are unable to afford emergency supplies or may be displaced by hurricanes? What actions has FEMA taken to prevent supply shortages for critical supplies, such as fuel, water and food, in the aftermath of a disaster?
· Given the steadily increasing prices Americans are seeing during to rising inflation, how will FEMA monitor and fight price gouging?
· Given the ongoing supply chain crisis, what guidance is FEMA planning to issue to families about preparedness and ensuring the availability of emergency supplies?
· What communication has FEMA had with local emergency management officials about ensuring the availability of adequate emergency supplies?
Making sure families are able to properly prepare for storms is essential to keeping Americans safe. I look forward to reviewing your responses and working together to keep Florida and our nation prepared for the coming hurricane season.
