As part of the robust, whole-of-government response to Hurricane Helene, the U.S. Department of Transportation is supporting response and recovery efforts in impacted communities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. DOT personnel are on the ground in multiple locations
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has received regular briefings from USDOT operating administrations and has communicated with the governors of impacted states. Secretary Buttigieg visited FEMA Headquarters today to be briefed on the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene and the whole-of-government emergency response and recovery actions. He also joined Cabinet colleagues to brief President Joe Biden at the White House.
USDOT actions to support ongoing Biden-Harris Administration’s response and recovery efforts include:
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA):
FHWA has assessed hundreds of bridges and other critical infrastructure across the Southeast in coordination with local, state, and Tribal governments. Currently, FHWA is also coordinating recovery efforts.
FHWA is prepared to rapidly process Emergency Relief (ER) funding requests. The ER program helps pay for long-term, permanent repairs, and other immediate emergency repairs, such as protecting remaining facilities and restoring essential traffic. It reimburses state, local, federal, tribal, and territorial governments for eligible expenses associated with damage from natural disasters or other emergency situations based on their requests.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):
FAA is working with partners to ensure the national airspace returns to steady state operations. All airports across impacted states have reopened and flight cancellations have reduced from over 1,000 since late last week to less than 50 on September 30.
The FAA’s Security and Hazardous Materials Safety Communication Support Team has deployed to restore communications to impacted towers and airports, including delivering satellite communications kits to the Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina and ongoing work at Valdosta Regional Airport in Georgia.
FAA supported FEMA with two aircrafts to conduct flyover assessments and transport emergency personnel and gear, such as satellite communications kits. FAA is also monitoring fuel supplies at several airports in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina that are experiencing reduced fuel delivery due storm impacts on fuel suppliers.
For information on flight cancellations and delays, the public can visit the National Airspace System status: https://nasstatus.faa.gov.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA):
President Biden approved seven Presidential Emergency Declarations in Florida, North Carolina Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Alabama and four Major Disaster Declarations in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. These decisive actions have afforded a 14-day period of emergency regulatory relief from Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations, including maximum driving time for property- and passenger-carrying vehicles from the date of declaration. This allows truck drivers to get essential supplies to affected areas.
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA):
PHMSA issued stay of enforcement letters for North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida providing a temporary waiver of pipeline operator qualifications requirements, allowing operators to swiftly support hurricane response and recovery efforts. PHMSA staff are coordinating with the North Carolina Utilities Commission to monitor for natural gas leaks in the Asheville, North Carolina, area related to inundation of local gas distribution systems.
PHMSA expedited approval to allow the Memorial Health Meadows Hospital in Vidalia, Georgia, to transport its surgical instruments for sterilization at a nearby hospital after it lost access to clean water required to process surgical instruments.
