The money available to help communities hit by disasters has shrunk after back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton, and the funding problems might jeopardize the government's ability to respond to new emergencies in the future,

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief fund has dwindled to less than $5 billion, lawmakers said this week, as both sides press for the swift passage of emergency aid. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell warned Wednesday that the agency’s ability to respond to new disasters “could be jeopardized” without further funding from Congress.