FEMA Holds Press Conference To Provide Hurricane Ian Update

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) held a press briefing Wednesday to provide an update and details on response efforts for Hurricane Ian.

FEMA has positioned water, meals, generators, supplies and personnel in affected states.

FEMA has pre-staged 117 generators and 128,000 gallons of fuel ahead of the storm and will continue to bring in more equipment as they continue to assess the needs of Floridians.

“Floridians up and down the coast are already feeling the storm’s painful impacts and we have yet to experience landfall,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

As of Wednesday morning, Hurricane Ian was a Category 4 “that is knocking on the door of a category 5 storm,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis.

FEMA says it is important to listen to evacuation orders from local officials.

“Don’t wait out the storm if you are being told to evacuate – it’s dangerous,” said American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern.

As of Wednesday morning, 500 American Red Cross responders have been staged in Florida along with shelter supplies for 60,000 people.

Teams have been responding to requests from the local government to open evacuation centers and are prepared to deliver critical relief after the hurricane passes.

After landfall, over 2,500 Red Cross Responders will be deployed to Florida and other states.

“If people want to help their neighbors, we can always use local volunteers,” said McGovern. Visit the Red Cross volunteer page for more information.

Stay informed

FEMA advises to stay updated through the storm so you know what to expect and when to expect it. One way to do this is to have several ways to receive alerts.

• Download the FEMA app and receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service.
• Sign up for community alerts in your area.
• Have you ever received a loud emergency alert on your phone or the radio? These automatic alerts can warn you of extreme weather, so make sure to pay attention to them.
• A battery-operated or hand-crank radio can help you stay informed even if the power goes out.

For the latest updates on Hurricane Ian, visit the National Weather Service.