Where federal disaster funding stands as Georgia’s hurricane season ramps up
Georgia counties are busy gearing up for hurricane season as the state nears the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene.
But many hard-hit communities are still recovering from that 2024 storm, which cut a swath across South and Middle Georgia.
Access to disaster funding, largely provided by the Federal Management Emergency Agency, remains an issue in Georgia as some of the state’s local governments are still waiting for aid.
Storm damage in Augusta-Richmond County was estimated at $83.6 million. Local officials are still waiting for $29.9 million in federal recovery funds while they prepare for the next storm.
“We’re continuing the strong coordination we already have with FEMA and (the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, or GEMA). Their guidance, training and support help ensure we’re prepared to respond effectively in the future,” said Kymber Keaton, director of the county’s emergency management agency.
In Lowndes County in extreme South Georgia, recovery from Helene is still years away.
“You can still ride around Lowndes County, and you’ll still see tarps on roofs,” said Meghan Barwick, public information officer for the Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency in Valdosta.
The county spent $21 million recovering from Hurricane Helene. Most of the federal recovery money has come, but Lowndes officials are still waiting on about $2 million. Barwick said the funding has been approved, but GEMA cannot issue payment until FEMA approves the closeout documentation.
With luck, Georgia could have more time to recover. The National Weather Service predicts a below-normal 2026 hurricane season. The Weather Channel says it could be one of the least active in over a decade.
Nonetheless, counties are staying prepared. Officials in Augusta-Richmond County held a summit in June to begin hurricane preparation.
“Every storm is an opportunity to improve the ways we can respond to an incident,” Keaton said.
Lowndes County has weathered hits from Hurricane Idalia, Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Debby, a snowstorm and several other weather events in the past three years. Barwick described the devastation as “surreal.”
“We prepare all year long,” she said. “We really encourage our residents here in Lowndes County to be prepared (and) stay prepared, so you don’t have to get prepared.”
State and federal officials have been fighting for disaster funding ever since Hurricane Helene hit in 2024.
In 2025, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock released a report alleging that the Trump administration was withholding $600 million from Georgians that communities were promised in recovery funds following Hurricane Helene. In March, Warnock and fellow Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff announced the release of more than $500 million in Agriculture Department block grants to help farmers recover from storm damage.
To date, Georgia has received more than $2 billion in federal disaster aid related to Helene damage, according to a FEMA spokesperson. This includes funds to survivors for uninsured losses, funds for various recovery projects and funds dedicated to preparation against future storms, according to FEMA.
But federal money can continue to flow years after a disaster as new eligible recovery work is identified, performed and reimbursed. Georgia is still getting Hurricane Michael funds, which hit in the fall of 2018.
President Donald Trump recently increased the federal cost share in Georgia’s major disaster declaration from 75% to 90%. The original declaration, approved by former President Joe Biden in 2024, provided disaster assistance to Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“Under President Trump and Secretary (of Homeland Security Markwayne) Mullin’s leadership, FEMA is focused and ready for hurricane season,” a FEMA spokesperson said. “FEMA remains prepared to support locally led, state-managed disaster response and recovery efforts as needed.”
Federal disaster funding remains uncertain for some states. Trump is threatening to withhold FEMA funding from states that don’t make changes to their voting practices. More than two dozen states, most of which are Democrat-led, sued the administration in July for requiring them to comply with the new conditions to receive billions of dollars in federal funding.
It is unclear whether the administration would withhold hurricane preparedness or recovery funding for states that do not comply with the president’s demands or whether Georgia, which has been in Trump’s crosshairs since the 2020 election, would be targeted. Georgia was not among the plaintiffs that sued to block the new grant conditions.
“We work closely with state and local partners year-round to support their preparedness and response planning so that when the time comes, our teams will be ready to support communities across the U.S.,” a FEMA spokesperson said.