FEMA Running Out of Funds
CHURCH: Hearing and seeing the fury there of the powerful hurricane Irma a category 5 colossus with sustain winds of about 300 kilometers per hours and gusts even stronger. Irma is one of the most intense Atlantic hurricane in recorded history killing at least nine people so far as it pummels the Caribbean. Barbuda's prime minister says the impact on his island is unprecedented with 95 percent of properties there damaged or destroyed. In Texas, the magnitude of another hurricane Harvey has overwhelmed government resources and it's likely to be a similar situation if hurricane Irma strikes the U.S. Rene Marsh reports on why FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency may not have enough money to help every community that needs disaster relief funds.</s>RENE MARSH, AVIATION CORRESPONDENT, CNN: First Harvey, now Irma.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're told to evacuate, get out quickly.</s>MARSH: A second major hurricane is headed to the U.S. and it's one of the strongest Atlantic storms ever.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Storm surge and extreme winds are the biggest concern right now.</s>MARSH: Irma a category 5 hurricane is threatening Florida nearly two weeks after Harvey devastated Texas. And it's all happening as FEMA comes dangerously close to running out of money. FEMA has just over $1 billion with $541 million of that available for immediate use as of Tuesday morning.</s>WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN: Are you confident that Congress will set aside enough funding for FEMA?</s>BROCK LONG, ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: You know that's up to the Congress.</s>MARSH: Wednesday the House approved $7.8 billion in relief aid but the aid package now in the Senate has gotten political with relief funding being tied to raising the debt ceiling.</s>PAUL RYAN, UNITED STATES SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We got another unprecedented hurricane about to hit Florida and they want to play politics with the debt ceiling? That will strand the aid that we need to bring to these victims.</s>MARSH: Even if the 7.8 billion in relief aid passes Congress, Florida Senate here say it will only cover federal response cost for about a couple of weeks and would not adequately cover resources FEMA needs to respond to Irma.</s>LONG: We need citizens to be involved. Texas this is a landmark event. We have not seen an event like this.</s>MARSH: The historic magnitude of Harvey overwhelmed federal responders causing them to ask the public for help. And that will likely happen again with Irma. Well, the response and recovery will be overwhelming for federal responders. Despite that FEMA says that it has activated its headquarters and its regional offices and already deployed some 700 people to respond to hurricane Irma. Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.</s>CHURCH: I'm Rosemary Church. The news continues with our Max Foster in London. You're watching CNN. Have a great day.