Following the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, Senator Warnock released a report detailing the true cost of the Trump administration’s delay in reimbursing Georgia communities for nearly half a billion dollars for recovery efforts
Senator Reverend Warnock: “The Trump administration said they would support Georgians, instead they’re skipping out on the bill. Georgians have come together to rebuild after Helene. Now, it’s time for the Trump administration to do their job. This can’t wait any longer”
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released a new report that shows nearly $500 million in promised federal funding for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts remains unpaid. The funding, part of a disaster recovery bill championed by Senator Warnock in 2024, is meant to reimburse local communities for funds spent on recovery. Despite bipartisan Congressional support for the immediate delivery of disaster recovery funds, the distribution of aid has been stifled by bureaucratic red tape and chaos in the Trump administration.
The report reveals that, as of September 22nd, counties across Georgia have millions of dollars in outstanding bills for recovery efforts which the federal government is required to reimburse. This includes $90 million in outstanding reimbursements for Toombs County, $78 million for Fulton County and the Georgia Department of Transportation, $38 million for Colquitt County, and $29 million for Richmond County. The funding is meant to cover expenses including emergency protective services, debris removal, and rebuilding public infrastructure.
“The Trump administration said they would support Georgians, instead they’re skipping out on the bill. Georgians have come together to rebuild after Helene. Now, it’s time for the Trump administration to do their job. This can’t wait any longer.” said Senator Warnock.
The report comes soon after the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s landfall on September 26th, 2024. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Senator Warnock led a bipartisan, bicameral effort to secure billions of dollars in federal funding for disaster recovery efforts in Georgia. The Senator also introduced bipartisan legislation to extend the tax deadline for Georgians impacted by Hurricane Helene and other natural disasters.
The report is the latest effort by Senator Warnock to hold the Trump administration accountable for chaos and dysfunction at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a result of the administration’s reckless cuts to disaster response efforts. The Senator has continued to press Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for answers on funding cuts and the agency’s preparation for the current storm season. Senator Warnock also joined a bipartisan effort to demand that the Trump administration reinstate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which supports local disaster mitigation projects including a $30 million award to Savannah for flood reduction measures that was canceled earlier this year.
The full report can be found HERE.
###
Title and affiliation are provided for identification purposes only. A pastor and social justice advocate, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock was elected to the United States Senate in 2021 and reelected for a full term in 2022. The Senator serves on the Senate Agriculture, Banking, and Finance committees, as well as the Senate Aging Committee.