Colleagues,
Hurricane Ida is causing tremendous damage in the states along the Gulf Coast of our country. Severe wind, rain, and flooding are leaving large and small communities without power, and already one fatality has been reported. Our personnel in FEMA and the Coast Guard are providing much-needed assistance and executing search and rescue operations. Their heroic work is emblematic of everything all of you throughout this Department do every day.
President Biden visited FEMA's National Response Coordination Center yesterday to thank the 22 federal agencies that are working incredibly hard in their response to Hurricane Ida. We stand ready to assist every affected community. If you are able to help with this response or with other DHS response efforts, please consider joining the Surge Capacity Force.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people affected by Hurricane Ida, and we will support our FEMA and Coast Guard colleagues in assisting the affected communities in our characteristic one-team way.
Thank you,
Alejandro N. Mayorkas
Secretary of Homeland Security
With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values.