FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 10, 2026
CONTACT: Katie Valentine, kvalentine@cacampaign.org, (770) 861-0397
Latino Leaders and Elected Officials Demand a Fully Funded, Fully Functional FEMA as Philadelphia Families Struggle to Recover from Historic Summer Flooding
Community Press Conference Marks Hispanic Heritage Month With a Call for Federal Action
View the full press conference here: LINK
PHILADELPHIA, PA — As Hispanic Heritage Month begins, Latino families across Philadelphia are still recovering from a historic summer of severe storms, waiting on federal aid that has been slow to arrive and hard to access.
Today, community members, healthcare professionals, and elected officials gathered at Philadelphia City Hall with a clear message for Congress: stop shortchanging FEMA and build an agency that is fully funded, fully functional, and built to serve every family equitably.
The press conference comes after a summer that brought repeated severe weather events to Philadelphia, including flash flooding, destructive storms, and a microburst that caused widespread building and property damage and displacement of residents across the city. The flooding events threatened to contaminate drinking water and raised the risk of mold-related respiratory risks in homes impacted by water damage even after floodwaters receded.
Across the Northeast, heavy rainstorms have increased by 60 to 70% since the 1960s, the largest increase of any region in the United States, and Philadelphia’s own Office of Sustainability says that the science confirms these trends are accelerating and will not reverse on their own.
“As Philadelphia marks the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida and is now experiencing a summer of record-breaking flash flood warnings, we are reminded that where it rains, it can flood, and every neighborhood must be prepared,” said Joseph Sullivan, Program Manager for Flood Resilience and Compliance Strategy, City of Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability. “The City’s Flood Management Program brings together key departments to help residents understand their flood risk and access resources to prepare and recover. Critical programs like FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) help enhance Philadelphia’s flood resilience efforts. Through Philadelphia’s collaborative work to reduce flood risk, residents can now receive a 15 percent discount on eligible federal flood insurance policies, making this important protection more affordable.”
“As we honor Hispanic Heritage Month, we must make sure every Philadelphia resident knows how to prepare for flooding and, when disaster strikes, can access FEMA assistance without fear or unnecessary barriers,” said Rep. Danilo Burgos. “Flooding doesn’t discriminate, and neither should our disaster response. Protecting our neighbors means making sure no family is left behind when they need help the most.”
“Our region’s Latino communities suffered the same flooding our non-Latino communities suffered this summer,” said Rep. Greg Scott. “And yet they’re struggling to get the post-disaster support that others have managed to access. A person shouldn’t suffer more or longer because resources aren’t offered in their preferred language or their neighborhood has been deprioritized. It’s time for the federal government to fully fund FEMA, provide necessary paperwork in widely-used languages, and ensure that all of our residents have equal access to aid.”
“The impacts of disaster are not experienced equally, and the response cannot be either,” said Azucena Villalobos, MSN, CRNP, FNP-BC. “We need funding that’s accessible, not just available: Spanish-speaking responders, trusted community organizations involved in the response, more community health workers embedded in community health centers who can help navigate climate-related health risks, multilingual emergency alerts that actually reach people, and resilient neighborhood centers offering cooling, clean water, and emergency support.”
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About the Climate Action Campaign
Climate Action Campaign (CAC) is a vibrant coalition driving ambitious, durable, equitable federal action to tackle the climate crisis. By cutting carbon pollution and accelerating the transition to clean energy, we will improve public health and create a more resilient economy and a more sustainable future for all.
About The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is the only national nursing organization focused solely on the intersection of health and the environment. The mission of the Alliance is to support nurses in promoting planetary health and equity globally by educating and leading the nursing profession, advancing research, incorporating planet-safe practice, and influencing policy. http://enviRN.org
