Readout of President Joe Biden's Meeting on Hurricane Preparedness and Actions to Ensure Equitable Recovery

On May 18, President Biden met with leaders of his Federal emergency preparedness and response team to receive the annual briefing on the Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook and to review progress on his directive to enhance equity and access to Federal disaster support and resources. He was briefed by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Richard Spinrad, Director of the National Hurricane Center Kenneth Graham, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marica Fudge, Small Business Administrator Isabella Guzman, U.S. Coast Guard Vice Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan, and Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall.

The President was briefed on the projected hurricane activity for the upcoming season and how lessons learned from past years have improved accuracy in analysis and forecasting. Following this overview, the President had the opportunity to discuss the actions that FEMA, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have taken to ensure more equitable outcomes for underserved communities following a disaster.

The President also met with the brave men and women who fly into hurricanes and perform high-risk missions to provide early warning and real time analysis of severe storms in order to save American lives. He toured the aircraft with specialized technologies that are used to predict hurricane tracks and spoke with U.S. Coast Guard members who conduct search and rescue missions during hurricanes and other extreme weather events.