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Florida’s Senators Raise Concerns Over FEMA Wait Times
Debris piled up outside a house in downtown Orlando after Hurricane Irma. Courtesy Matias de la Jara
Concerned over long wait times, Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio sent a letter to FEMA.
In their letter, Rubio and Nelson cited complaints by residents calling FEMA for housing assistance who ended up waiting on hold for up to four hours and FEMA is quoting 45 days for a home inspection, a required step for assistance claims payout.
They also cite a 2006 report from the Department of Homeland Security that found those affected by Hurricane Katrina averaged only a 10 minute wait time and around 10 days for a home inspection.
The Senators recognized that FEMA Administrator Brock Long has dispatched nearly 4,000 inspectors, but urged Long to improve wait times.
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