WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season now just days away, Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio are seeking information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) over the status of its Disaster Relief Fund used to help communities recover from catastrophic weather events.

According to FEMA’s May Disaster Relief Fund report, by August, the DRF is expected to have a nearly $1.4 billion deficit for its Major Declarations fund.

Scott and Rubio have sent a letter to FEMA’s Administrator over the fund’s financial status.

“It’s very important in my state. We’re walking up to Hurricane Season, which starts on June 1. We’ve got to make sure FEMA is fully funded to make sure they can be a partner,” Scott said. 

If the DRF begins to run low on money, FEMA prioritizes immediate needs funding for “lifesaving and life-sustaining activities.”

In their letter to FEMA, the Senators asked questions like: “Does FEMA still project a deficit to the DRF in August or do you expect it to occur earlier?” and, “When does FEMA expect it will need to activate an immediate needs funding designation?”

In a statement, FEMA Director of Public Affairs Jaclyn Rothenberg said, “FEMA continues to work with the Administration and Congress to ensure sufficient funding is available. Without additional funding, FEMA will take steps prior to funding exhaustion to ensure resources are available to support ongoing lifesaving and life-sustaining activities and provide a reserve for initial response and recovery operations for a new catastrophic event.”

The federal budget year ends September 30. FEMA paused funding for some non-immediate projects last year as it dealt with a depletion of funds. Lawmakers ultimately passed a funding deal to avert a government shutdown and provide the DRF with $16 billion in new funding. 

Congress is currently working on its 2025 federal budget.