FEMA Prepares for Hurricane Milton as President Biden Approves Emergency Declaration for Florida

As Hurricane Milton approaches the Florida coast, FEMA and its federal partners have ramped up preparations, pre-positioning critical resources to support state and local response efforts.

President Biden approved an Emergency Declaration for Florida on Monday, authorizing FEMA to lead federal disaster relief efforts aimed at saving lives and protecting the health and safety of those in the storm’s path.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is on the ground meeting with officials across the impacted states, ensuring that the federal government’s full response capabilities are activated. In Florida and the surrounding region, FEMA has mobilized seven Incident Management Assistance Teams, eight Urban Search & Rescue teams, three U.S. Coast Guard Swift Water Rescue teams, as well as numerous medical and health response units. Additionally, temporary power teams from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, debris and wastewater experts from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and 300 ambulances are on standby.

FEMA has also established five incident staging bases equipped with 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water ready for deployment, ensuring that ongoing recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene and other previous storms are not disrupted.

The National Hurricane Center warns that Hurricane Milton, expected to make landfall tomorrow, will bring devastating hurricane-force winds, dangerous storm surges, and heavy rainfall, posing a high risk of life-threatening flooding. Those in Milton’s path are being urged to finalize their preparations and heed evacuation orders.

Several counties have already issued mandatory evacuation orders. Residents are being reminded to "evacuate out, not up" and to visit FloridaDisaster.org/Know to confirm if they live in an evacuation zone. Florida has also partnered with Uber to provide free rides to shelters, and a hurricane evacuation charter bus schedule is available for those in need.

FEMA’s senior leaders, including Region 10 Administrator Willie Nunn and Federal Coordinating Officer John Brogan, will remain in Florida throughout Hurricane Milton. Nearly 900 FEMA staff are already in the state supporting recovery efforts from previous hurricanes, including Helene, Debby, and Idalia. Despite the ongoing recovery efforts across multiple states, FEMA is committed to maintaining resources for each disaster, ensuring that no region is left behind.

Residents in evacuation zones are urged to act quickly, stay informed, and follow local officials’ instructions. Additional information on shelters and resources can be found at FloridaDisaster.org/Updates. For live updates, follow FLSERT on X and Instagram and FDEM on Facebook.

With the storm's landfall imminent, FEMA's message is clear: time is running out to prepare, and taking action now could save lives.