Here's how 4,000 federal officials prepare for Florence

As Hurricane Florence heads for the Carolinas, resulting in a potentially deadly sea wave and high winds and torrential rains, the federal government is joining forces to help communities prepare for and recover.

President Donald Trump said Thursday afternoon that he had been briefed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, first responders and law enforcement officials ready to face the Category 2 storm. Friday. "We are with you!" Trump tweeted, with a satellite map showing the swirling mass heading towards the American coast.

The government's readiness was not without controversy, with Trump having earlier challenged the death toll in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria in 2017, claiming on Twitter that "3,000 people have not died" . The administration was criticized for its response to Maria and Trump was castigated by Puerto Rican leaders and congressional democrats for seeking to discredit an assessment commissioned by the island's territory and conducted by officials. researchers from the best American universities. Several Republican lawmakers said they were convinced of the accuracy of Maria's record despite Trump's demands.

Here is an overview of what the federal government, which has 4,000 employees in the effort, is getting ready to deal with the winds and rain on the Carolinas.

– FEMA: The Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Homeland Security branch that was criticized for its poor response to Hurricane Maria and other disasters last year, was at the center of preparations for the Trump administration.

More than 1,000 FEMA workers are preparing to respond to Florence and other storms with teams deployed in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia prior to a landing, search and rescue operations and distribution of food, water and other items the storm. According to the White House, "prepositioned resources" include more than 11 million meals, 18 million liters of water, 60,000 beds and 1 million blankets.

The agency also helps the Trump administration to manage expectations. "We call them disasters because they break things," said FEMA's administrator at a briefing on Thursday. "The power will go out."

– EPA: Environmental Protection Agency, the lead agency for spills of oil and other toxic substances on land, monitors more than three dozen Superfunds, oil production facilities and storage sites of chemicals. . The agency also monitors consumption sites and wastewater that could be at risk.

"We have teams of on-site coordinators and ready-to-deploy equipment," said Reggie Cheatham, director of EPA's Office of Emergency Management.

Two years ago, Duke Energy Corp. was ordered to clean coal basins in North Carolina, which posed risks to the environment and public health. The company will not be made in time for the storm, leaving sites vulnerable to spills that can release waste. The state is also a major producer of poultry and pigs, and artificial lagoons that contain manure could also be exposed to overflows in nearby fields and waterways.

– Department of Energy: The Energy Department is monitoring the impact of the storm on millions of utility customers, as well as on the status of refineries, nuclear power plants and power plants. other sites on the way to Florence. The agency says it has deployed employees to the Carolinas emergency operations centers to help them.

In addition, more than 40,000 public service workers in at least 17 states are ready to help with power-up, the department said.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an independent agency, sends inspectors to nuclear plants that could be damaged by the hurricane, including the Duke Energy plant located on the south coast of North Carolina, directly on the planned trajectory of Florence.

– Military: The US Army Corps of Engineers has more than 200 employees on duty in Florence and has already received $ 6 million in mission assignments from FEMA, according to Ray Alexander. The agency also monitors five of their dams in Virginia and the dams they own in Virginia and North Carolina.

The Coast Guard has shallow water rescue boats and lifejackets on hand.

The Navy has sent about 30 ships at sea from bases in the Norfolk area of ​​Virginia to protect them and protect the wharfs from the storm.