WEBVTT 00:03.611 --> 00:05.611 - Just me, good morning. 00:06.860 --> 00:08.549 Good morning everyone, thanks for being here. 00:08.549 --> 00:10.295 We'll provide an update. 00:10.295 --> 00:13.795 Acting Secretary Duke, Administrator Long, 00:13.878 --> 00:16.961 and Chris Krebs, our senior official, 00:17.441 --> 00:19.951 performing the duties of the Under Secretary, 00:19.951 --> 00:21.868 from the Department of Homeland Security 00:21.868 --> 00:22.866 will provide you an update. 00:22.866 --> 00:24.962 Just to give you an idea, they both have commitments 00:24.962 --> 00:28.807 on the back side, so we'll have about 25 minutes with them. 00:28.807 --> 00:29.724 So, thanks. 00:40.523 --> 00:42.761 - Good morning everyone, and thank you for joining us, 00:42.761 --> 00:46.428 as we continue to respond to Hurricane Irma. 00:47.315 --> 00:51.238 Our number one concern today is with saving lives. 00:51.238 --> 00:54.434 The US Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, 00:54.434 --> 00:57.564 and Department of Defense have deployed significant assets 00:57.564 --> 01:01.371 to the area to assist in search and rescue efforts. 01:01.371 --> 01:04.007 They are very pleased that the weather is allowing 01:04.007 --> 01:06.757 this effort on search and rescue. 01:07.338 --> 01:11.505 We are constrained by geography, and our bases of operation 01:11.770 --> 01:15.443 are more limited than our response to Hurricane Harvey. 01:15.443 --> 01:17.702 We are working to get as many aircraft 01:17.702 --> 01:19.535 in the air a possible. 01:19.925 --> 01:22.637 I urge everyone impacted by the storm, 01:22.637 --> 01:24.252 to continue to pay attention 01:24.252 --> 01:26.747 to your state and local officials. 01:26.747 --> 01:30.209 They will let you know when it's safe to return home. 01:30.209 --> 01:31.126 Be patient. 01:31.847 --> 01:34.368 The Federal Government effort is working closely 01:34.368 --> 01:36.347 with our state and local partners 01:36.347 --> 01:39.430 in our response and recovery efforts. 01:39.577 --> 01:41.763 I would like to thank President Trump 01:41.763 --> 01:45.535 and Vice President Pence, for their attention to this storm, 01:45.535 --> 01:49.702 and their concern for communities that are affected. 01:50.393 --> 01:51.769 The White House and the entire Cabinet 01:51.769 --> 01:54.613 have been very supportive of the first responders 01:54.613 --> 01:57.613 and the survivors of Hurricane Irma. 01:57.644 --> 02:01.055 A storm of this magnitude needs a team effort, 02:01.055 --> 02:02.882 and we've seen tremendous response 02:02.882 --> 02:04.798 from our federal partners. 02:04.798 --> 02:07.465 Nearly 22,0000 federal personnel 02:07.481 --> 02:11.648 are ready on the front lines and more continue to deploy. 02:12.123 --> 02:14.830 We face a long and challenging road ahead, 02:14.830 --> 02:17.021 but the Department of Homeland Security, 02:17.021 --> 02:20.061 our federal, state, tribal and local partners 02:20.061 --> 02:21.886 will continue to stand with the people 02:21.886 --> 02:23.715 affected by the storm. 02:23.715 --> 02:27.294 Whether you are in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, 02:27.294 --> 02:31.299 Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands, we are here for you, 02:31.299 --> 02:34.132 and we are here for the long haul. 02:34.247 --> 02:36.911 While we are ramping up operations in Florida 02:36.911 --> 02:40.257 for those of you in Texas and Louisiana, affected by Harvey, 02:40.257 --> 02:42.090 we are still with you. 02:42.229 --> 02:44.912 I actually spoke to Governor Abbott yesterday, 02:44.912 --> 02:48.647 and will continue to support the state rebuilding efforts. 02:48.647 --> 02:51.049 I would now like to introduce, Chris Krebs, 02:51.049 --> 02:54.043 the Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection 02:54.043 --> 02:57.247 at DHS, who is currently running our National Protection 02:57.247 --> 02:59.010 and Programs Directorate. 02:59.010 --> 03:02.168 He'll talk to you about power, water and communications 03:02.168 --> 03:03.085 in Florida. 03:03.258 --> 03:04.091 Thank you. 03:07.325 --> 03:08.158 - Good morning. 03:08.158 --> 03:09.413 Thank you Madame Secretary. 03:09.413 --> 03:12.285 Very briefly, on the ground in Florida, 03:12.285 --> 03:15.767 we are looking at a little over 5 to 6 million customers 03:15.767 --> 03:18.600 without power, that translates to about 15 million people 03:18.600 --> 03:19.767 without power. 03:20.365 --> 03:22.513 Department of Homeland Security is working very closely 03:22.513 --> 03:25.880 with the Department of Energy, and the local utilities, 03:25.880 --> 03:28.454 to get the crews back in there, do damage assessments, 03:28.454 --> 03:30.919 clean up debris and hang new lines. 03:30.919 --> 03:33.150 I do ask that everyone have patience. 03:33.150 --> 03:35.185 This is gonna take some time to restore, 03:35.185 --> 03:37.352 and in some circumstances, 03:38.088 --> 03:40.961 it will be a situation about rebuilding. 03:40.961 --> 03:42.048 Hurricane force winds 03:42.048 --> 03:44.109 can significantly damage infrastructure. 03:44.109 --> 03:45.871 Those crews are still down there right now, 03:45.871 --> 03:48.119 getting a sense of what is going on, on the ground. 03:48.119 --> 03:50.614 Now with the power out, power pretty much drives everything. 03:50.614 --> 03:53.817 Lights are out, there maybe impacts on local water 03:53.817 --> 03:56.355 and wastewater treatment facilities. 03:56.355 --> 03:58.966 Most of those facilities should have generator 03:58.966 --> 04:01.332 and fuel supplies for a number of days, 04:01.332 --> 04:04.561 however it is a priority, once it's safe to reenter, 04:04.561 --> 04:06.621 it is a priority to get those electricity crews 04:06.621 --> 04:08.267 back in on the ground. 04:08.267 --> 04:10.367 Communications is also an issue, 04:10.367 --> 04:12.936 particularly down in the Virgin Islands, but in Florida, 04:12.936 --> 04:14.906 there is some cell service disruption, 04:14.906 --> 04:16.924 and may be some wire line disruption as well. 04:16.924 --> 04:19.331 Again, same thing applies, as soon as it's safe to reenter, 04:19.331 --> 04:20.826 those crews are gonna be back in there. 04:20.826 --> 04:23.085 They should be doing damage assessments late yesterday 04:23.085 --> 04:24.226 and into today. 04:24.226 --> 04:26.146 Last thing I would add is that, 04:26.146 --> 04:28.791 hurricanes Harvey and Irma are linked. 04:28.791 --> 04:31.580 With Harvey we had a significant amount of the nation's 04:31.580 --> 04:35.113 refining capacity offline, as well as distribution 04:35.113 --> 04:37.264 through some of the pipelines through the southeast. 04:37.264 --> 04:40.956 As a result, there may be some fuel supply shortages 04:40.956 --> 04:42.350 throughout the southeast. 04:42.350 --> 04:43.952 That's why last week the Secretary 04:43.952 --> 04:47.715 issued the Jones Act waiver, to allow easier distribution 04:47.715 --> 04:50.121 of fuel throughout some of those ports, throughout. 04:50.121 --> 04:53.064 So, I do ask everyone to have patience. 04:53.064 --> 04:54.809 We're getting on this quickly, 04:54.809 --> 04:57.743 and we'll be here to answer questions. 04:57.743 --> 04:58.576 Thank you. 04:59.985 --> 05:01.235 - All right, good morning everyone. 05:01.235 --> 05:03.784 So, it's very clear to all of us, 05:03.784 --> 05:05.987 that the President's goal is to take care of people, 05:05.987 --> 05:09.075 and, you know, this is a unique event, 05:09.075 --> 05:10.775 compared to what Harvey was. 05:10.775 --> 05:13.775 Harvey's damage areas were combined, 05:14.341 --> 05:16.008 confined, excuse me, 05:16.067 --> 05:19.946 to about 50 counties within Texas and a few in Louisiana. 05:19.946 --> 05:23.531 This one's complex because of the multiple states involved, 05:23.531 --> 05:27.634 we also have the Seminole Tribe, that comes directly to FEMA 05:27.634 --> 05:30.020 for support, and then also our partners 05:30.020 --> 05:32.719 in the US Virgin Islands, as well as Puerto Rico. 05:32.719 --> 05:35.052 So, during a complex event like this, 05:35.052 --> 05:37.121 it's very important to double down on communications, 05:37.121 --> 05:39.374 and what we're doing is to make sure that we have 05:39.374 --> 05:42.615 clear lines of communication, not only with our governors, 05:42.615 --> 05:46.254 but the state divisions of emergency management, as well. 05:46.254 --> 05:49.335 Including our tribal partners in the Seminole Tribe. 05:49.335 --> 05:51.734 So, we will continue to do that. 05:51.734 --> 05:53.882 As the Secretary and Chris Krebs have both said, 05:53.882 --> 05:55.753 this is gonna be a frustrating event. 05:55.753 --> 05:57.560 It's gonna take some time to allow people 05:57.560 --> 06:00.638 back into their homes, particularly in the Florida Keys. 06:00.638 --> 06:02.563 If you look at what happened in Florida, 06:02.563 --> 06:05.164 obviously Monroe County took the brunt of the hit, 06:05.164 --> 06:07.124 and a majority of the homes there have been impacted 06:07.124 --> 06:09.609 in some ways, with several of them destroyed, 06:09.609 --> 06:12.276 and many more with major damage. 06:12.965 --> 06:15.630 We're having to go down and make sure that it's a safe place 06:15.630 --> 06:19.483 for people to return, so that we don't have loss of life 06:19.483 --> 06:21.650 after Irma passes through. 06:23.108 --> 06:25.067 So, the bottom line is, is that, later today, 06:25.067 --> 06:27.902 I will be headed to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands 06:27.902 --> 06:30.334 to meet with both governors to make sure that 06:30.334 --> 06:34.212 we're on the correct pathway to recovery there. 06:34.212 --> 06:36.966 Obviously, power restoration is one of the biggest goals, 06:36.966 --> 06:41.049 along with, power restoration is the largest goal 06:41.195 --> 06:43.046 right now in Puerto Rico. 06:43.046 --> 06:45.089 You know, there were over a million people without power. 06:45.089 --> 06:48.096 We've made a lot of progress and that's down to 06:48.096 --> 06:49.328 around 300,000. 06:49.328 --> 06:51.828 That will continue to improve. 06:52.254 --> 06:54.431 For the US Virgin Islands, we're directly working 06:54.431 --> 06:57.949 with Governor Mapp, to understand his issues, as well. 06:57.949 --> 07:00.216 Obviously, we wanna make sure that safety and security 07:00.216 --> 07:03.338 is upheld, and we're continuing to work with him 07:03.338 --> 07:06.618 to roll in military police, through our National Guard 07:06.618 --> 07:10.050 partners, to those islands, to insure safety and security. 07:10.050 --> 07:12.748 We're also pushing a lot of commodities forward. 07:12.748 --> 07:15.269 We've established air bridges, through our partners 07:15.269 --> 07:17.519 with the DOD, and the Navy, 07:17.960 --> 07:20.407 with the ships that are offshore there. 07:20.407 --> 07:23.267 And we continue to understand the life sustainment missions 07:23.267 --> 07:27.100 to support our partners in the Virgin Islands. 07:27.903 --> 07:31.170 Moving to the continental United States, the President, 07:31.170 --> 07:33.636 as you all know, moved very quickly to put forward 07:33.636 --> 07:36.469 presidential disaster declaration. 07:36.534 --> 07:39.917 It's very important, specifically in Florida right now. 07:39.917 --> 07:42.660 The counties under individual assistance declarations, 07:42.660 --> 07:45.089 there's quite a few, so I wanna read those off. 07:45.089 --> 07:48.914 Broward County, Palm Beach, Clay, Duval, Flagler, 07:48.914 --> 07:53.081 Putnam, St. Johns, Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, 07:53.848 --> 07:57.848 Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pinellas, Sarasota. 07:59.154 --> 08:01.187 These counties, right now, if you're a citizen 08:01.187 --> 08:04.662 in those counties, you can go to disasterassistance.gov 08:04.662 --> 08:06.973 to begin registering for assistance if you received 08:06.973 --> 08:09.243 damages and are having hardship. 08:09.243 --> 08:13.410 And, in some cases, you know, the first line of defense is 08:13.415 --> 08:15.838 file your insurance when you're allowed to get back home, 08:15.838 --> 08:18.925 file your insurance, not only your personal insurance, 08:18.925 --> 08:22.136 but also through the NFIP Program, the National Flood 08:22.136 --> 08:24.268 Insurance Program, if you're a policy holder, 08:24.268 --> 08:27.462 you know, once you return home, please, you know, 08:27.462 --> 08:30.327 call your private insurer to activate that policy, 08:30.327 --> 08:33.438 if you've had damage, and we can begin to process, 08:33.438 --> 08:36.631 begin the process to have money flowing, to help you, 08:36.631 --> 08:38.714 in those, in that regard. 08:39.558 --> 08:41.657 The other thing here is, is that, you know, 08:41.657 --> 08:44.036 we're also watching the continuing situation 08:44.036 --> 08:45.198 in Jacksonville. 08:45.198 --> 08:48.781 Overnight Jacksonville and the areas around 08:48.786 --> 08:50.670 the St. Johns River were heavily impacted, 08:50.670 --> 08:54.089 we're still conducting some life safety missions, 08:54.089 --> 08:56.761 in and around that area, because of the flooding. 08:56.761 --> 08:59.497 We were very aware of it, last night, and continuing 08:59.497 --> 09:02.207 to support our state and local partners there. 09:02.207 --> 09:05.048 Again, this issue is passing through. 09:05.048 --> 09:08.441 There's large scale power outages and almost a million 09:08.441 --> 09:11.697 people in Georgia without power today, as well. 09:11.697 --> 09:13.650 But we have been working with our partners 09:13.650 --> 09:17.286 at the Department of Energy to pre-stage power crews, 09:17.286 --> 09:18.951 not only in Florida, but all over 09:18.951 --> 09:20.840 the southeastern United States. 09:20.840 --> 09:23.596 But let me reiterate, it takes a long time 09:23.596 --> 09:25.887 for this infrastructure to come back up. 09:25.887 --> 09:28.209 It may take multiple days, if not weeks in some areas 09:28.209 --> 09:30.380 as we've been saying before the storm hit. 09:30.380 --> 09:34.547 So, with that, one final graphic that we have up here. 09:35.157 --> 09:38.824 It is our force lay down to show how dynamic 09:40.223 --> 09:43.306 this response is, but as I have said, 09:44.685 --> 09:46.548 and as the Secretary reiterated, 09:46.548 --> 09:48.207 it's all about communication. 09:48.207 --> 09:50.509 Clearly identifying how to support our state and local 09:50.509 --> 09:52.685 partners and that's exactly what's taking place today 09:52.685 --> 09:54.503 as we start to turn the corner 09:54.503 --> 09:57.086 and provide a road to recovery. 09:57.104 --> 10:00.885 So, with that, we'll open up to any questions. 10:00.885 --> 10:01.718 Yes ma'am. 10:01.766 --> 10:05.458 - [Reporter] So, scientists say these massive storms 10:05.458 --> 10:09.625 only get warmer, in warmer water, linked to climate change. 10:09.944 --> 10:12.661 The Department of Defense has said that the US 10:12.661 --> 10:14.174 must pay closer attention to climate change. 10:14.174 --> 10:17.079 As the head of the agency who has to respond 10:17.079 --> 10:21.004 to these sort of massive storms, that require your staff 10:21.004 --> 10:24.324 to be on 24/7 for days at a time, and essentially wipe out 10:24.324 --> 10:28.491 the budget, do you feel, that the government needs to focus 10:30.043 --> 10:34.067 on climate change in a broader way, at this point, 10:34.067 --> 10:35.667 following these storms? 10:35.667 --> 10:37.955 - I think the government needs to definitely 10:37.955 --> 10:41.038 focus on disaster resiliency twofold. 10:41.970 --> 10:44.724 Disaster resiliency, the only way we achieve that is 10:44.724 --> 10:47.855 that we have to create a true culture of preparedness 10:47.855 --> 10:51.306 within our citizenry, we have to help them understand 10:51.306 --> 10:54.491 their true vulnerabilities, based on where they dwell, 10:54.491 --> 10:56.158 and where they work. 10:56.389 --> 10:59.066 And it's not just getting supplies for three days, 10:59.066 --> 11:02.164 as many people are learning, how important that is, 11:02.164 --> 11:05.827 it's also having the savings account for 3-6 months, 11:05.827 --> 11:08.570 to overcome simple emergencies as well as the disaster, 11:08.570 --> 11:11.819 to activate insurance policies and everything else. 11:11.819 --> 11:13.950 When it comes to the infrastructure side, 11:13.950 --> 11:17.082 you know I do think we have a long way to go. 11:17.082 --> 11:19.215 Local governments and state governments need to consider 11:19.215 --> 11:22.708 best practices when it comes to land use planning 11:22.708 --> 11:23.875 in the future. 11:24.306 --> 11:26.620 Regardless of what causes disasters, it's our job, 11:26.620 --> 11:29.032 you know within the Department of Homeland Security 11:29.032 --> 11:31.750 and FEMA to manage the consequences. 11:31.750 --> 11:34.036 - [Reporter] How important do you think it is 11:34.036 --> 11:35.583 besides preparedness for these disasters, 11:35.583 --> 11:38.327 to focus on what is potentially causing 11:38.327 --> 11:40.660 these really massive storms? 11:41.036 --> 11:44.050 - I mean, we have to understand, and we have to look 11:44.050 --> 11:46.904 at data to make meaningful decisions on the way forward. 11:46.904 --> 11:49.690 So, I think we can all agree that, you know, we do that 11:49.690 --> 11:51.107 on a daily basis. 11:51.159 --> 11:52.866 That's how we estimate how much power 11:52.866 --> 11:53.903 is gonna be knocked out, 11:53.903 --> 11:56.161 or how many people are gonna be influenced. 11:56.161 --> 11:58.375 But, here again, it goes back to the only way 11:58.375 --> 12:00.011 we become resilient as a nation is, 12:00.011 --> 12:02.570 we have to create that true culture of preparedness 12:02.570 --> 12:05.031 within our citizenry which we do not have, 12:05.031 --> 12:07.228 and then we also have to look at how we go forward 12:07.228 --> 12:09.630 when it comes to infrastructure protection. 12:09.630 --> 12:12.821 - [Reporter] Secretary, same question for you. 12:12.821 --> 12:14.713 - I think it is important. 12:14.713 --> 12:16.108 We live in a changing world, 12:16.108 --> 12:19.025 and as the FEMA administrator said, 12:20.032 --> 12:22.848 that we always have to look at not just the response, 12:22.848 --> 12:24.629 but the preparedness and the resilience. 12:24.629 --> 12:27.489 I think that it's important that as we come together 12:27.489 --> 12:30.965 as a country, we looked at the changes in our world, 12:30.965 --> 12:33.662 and make sure, both in planning, and response, 12:33.662 --> 12:36.579 that we are adapting appropriately. 12:37.906 --> 12:40.605 - [Reporter] I mean, I hear you saying about the response 12:40.605 --> 12:42.566 and preparedness, but what about the cause? 12:42.566 --> 12:44.896 How important do you think it is for government 12:44.896 --> 12:47.396 to be focused in on the cause? 12:47.882 --> 12:50.344 What might be behind these massive storms? 12:50.344 --> 12:51.375 Or fueling them? 12:51.375 --> 12:54.292 - You know, the data, I don't know what it 12:54.292 --> 12:56.209 particularly indicates. 12:57.432 --> 13:00.597 We haven't had a major storm like this in quite a while. 13:00.597 --> 13:04.346 We knew this was going to be a hard hurricane season. 13:04.346 --> 13:06.088 It was predicted by NOAA. 13:06.088 --> 13:09.524 So, I would think that, our sister agencies in NOAA, 13:09.524 --> 13:13.691 and others are looking at whether this is an anomaly year 13:13.735 --> 13:14.969 or a trend year. 13:14.969 --> 13:16.642 And I think it's important to know that. 13:16.642 --> 13:18.464 And we will continue working with them, 13:18.464 --> 13:21.338 as they look at the data and try to determine 13:21.338 --> 13:25.088 is this a year of anomaly or a year of trend. 13:28.628 --> 13:30.310 - [Reporter] When will you guys go to Florida? 13:30.310 --> 13:32.191 I know that you're going to Puerto Rico now, but-- 13:32.191 --> 13:35.852 - Yeah, we likely will be going later this week. 13:35.852 --> 13:38.732 What's important is because of the path of this storm, 13:38.732 --> 13:42.082 we are just beginning search and rescue in earnest today. 13:42.082 --> 13:45.525 So it's important that that be the singular focus. 13:45.525 --> 13:49.692 We believe with that starting at sunrise this morning, 13:50.324 --> 13:53.147 we should be able to be in the area safely, 13:53.147 --> 13:57.314 without disrupting any search and rescue later this week. 13:58.123 --> 13:59.094 - Yes, ma'am? 13:59.094 --> 14:00.760 - [Reporter] What's the security picture 14:00.760 --> 14:02.049 down in Puerto Rico and Florida? 14:02.049 --> 14:03.873 Are you hearing reports of any looting, 14:03.873 --> 14:05.664 or any other crimes going on? 14:05.664 --> 14:07.816 - Obviously, there is some social media trending 14:07.816 --> 14:10.536 when it comes down to the United States Virgin Islands, 14:10.536 --> 14:12.799 but I've been in close contact with Governor Mapp, 14:12.799 --> 14:16.338 and we are helping him to address some localized issues, 14:16.338 --> 14:18.402 but there is not widespread security issues 14:18.402 --> 14:19.460 across those islands. 14:19.460 --> 14:21.934 So we need to, you know, we have to deconflict 14:21.934 --> 14:24.733 some of the rumors that are there, but as I said earlier, 14:24.733 --> 14:27.494 Governor Mapp, we're helping him to facilitate 14:27.494 --> 14:29.842 mutual aid with our National Guard partners 14:29.842 --> 14:32.695 to bring in military police, to make sure that we maintain 14:32.695 --> 14:33.913 safety and security. 14:33.913 --> 14:38.080 I will be there over the next 48 hours to put my eyes 14:39.040 --> 14:43.207 on the ground to make sure that we're making progress. 14:43.519 --> 14:46.173 - [Reporter] What's the visibility like in the Florida Keys, 14:46.173 --> 14:48.190 do you know how many people might be needing 14:48.190 --> 14:49.162 search and rescue? 14:49.162 --> 14:50.665 What do you know about what's going on there? 14:50.665 --> 14:53.748 - So, look, I always, let me clarify, 14:54.973 --> 14:56.983 any time I start to give specific numbers, 14:56.983 --> 14:59.960 they're gonna change the minute we walk out that door. 14:59.960 --> 15:01.248 So, some of the initial estimates are, 15:01.248 --> 15:03.692 and this is why ask people to evacuate, 15:03.692 --> 15:07.028 largely from storm surge, 25% of the houses initially 15:07.028 --> 15:09.872 have been destroyed, and 65% have major damage. 15:09.872 --> 15:13.089 Basically, every house in the Keys was impacted 15:13.089 --> 15:14.327 in some way or another. 15:14.327 --> 15:17.244 This is why we ask people to leave. 15:17.368 --> 15:20.032 Regarding, fatalities, that's up to the county coroners. 15:20.032 --> 15:21.992 I don't want to get into that number because, 15:21.992 --> 15:24.909 it's honestly like chasing rabbits. 15:25.107 --> 15:25.997 - [Reporter] Do you have aircraft up looking for people, 15:25.997 --> 15:26.869 to see if-- 15:26.869 --> 15:27.702 - Absolutely. 15:27.702 --> 15:30.605 Absolutely, our partners at the United States Coast Guard, 15:30.605 --> 15:33.835 DOD assets, you know, other partners through, 15:33.835 --> 15:35.884 we have Customs and Border Patrol out of the 15:35.884 --> 15:37.261 Department of Homeland Security, 15:37.261 --> 15:39.340 and many that are supporting this mission. 15:39.340 --> 15:40.419 - As I said in my opening comments, 15:40.419 --> 15:42.219 this is a more complicated response 15:42.219 --> 15:44.361 because of the peninsula and islands, 15:44.361 --> 15:46.020 so we are partnering with DOD. 15:46.020 --> 15:49.341 DOD has provided some sea assets, aircraft carriers, 15:49.341 --> 15:51.766 that can be used for landing and refueling. 15:51.766 --> 15:54.710 What we're trying to do is get the cycle time shorter. 15:54.710 --> 15:58.877 So, while we have assets, we have over 40 helicopters 15:58.948 --> 16:01.781 from Coast Guard, operational now. 16:02.501 --> 16:05.418 It is a more complicated response than when you have 16:05.418 --> 16:07.649 refueling and landing right nearby. 16:07.649 --> 16:10.816 So, we are vigilant and working on it. 16:11.546 --> 16:13.796 That is the focus of today. 16:16.001 --> 16:16.834 - I'm sorry. 16:16.834 --> 16:18.601 - [Report] Air rescues haven't started yet 16:18.601 --> 16:20.184 in the Keys, right? 16:20.218 --> 16:23.254 - Yes they have, but this is different. 16:23.254 --> 16:25.845 In portions, yes, I mean, obviously air rescues 16:25.845 --> 16:28.220 have happened, particularly in the US Virgin Islands, 16:28.220 --> 16:31.561 and as the, not only our Florida National Guard, 16:31.561 --> 16:33.940 Florida National Guard is heavily involved. 16:33.940 --> 16:35.089 They've been providing rescues. 16:35.089 --> 16:36.493 But this is different than Harvey. 16:36.493 --> 16:39.317 This is not a flood with standing water. 16:39.317 --> 16:41.802 Storm surge comes in, inundates, destroys, 16:41.802 --> 16:43.377 and then quickly recedes. 16:43.377 --> 16:45.743 So in many cases, you're not gonna see 16:45.743 --> 16:48.193 all of the helicopters that are necessarily needed. 16:48.193 --> 16:49.838 We're not plucking people off of their houses 16:49.838 --> 16:51.588 and different things. 16:51.665 --> 16:54.050 This is not nearly as big a swift water rescue 16:54.050 --> 16:55.217 as Harvey was. 16:55.426 --> 16:59.006 So, these two storms are dramatically different. 16:59.006 --> 17:00.536 Just because you don't see a helicopter, 17:00.536 --> 17:01.974 doesn't mean we're not actively 17:01.974 --> 17:03.656 putting forward the missions. 17:03.656 --> 17:06.240 - I also wanted to end with thanking our industry partners 17:06.240 --> 17:09.111 to help with evacuations, especially from the islands. 17:09.111 --> 17:13.278 We had Delta have a charter flight evacuating Americans. 17:14.076 --> 17:16.720 Similarly in Harvey, Southwest Airlines helped us 17:16.720 --> 17:20.779 with some of the evacuations out of the area and others. 17:20.779 --> 17:24.319 So, wanted to take this moment to thank industry partners 17:24.319 --> 17:26.236 for their support, too. 17:26.753 --> 17:28.894 - And then, one final message, again, like Harvey, 17:28.894 --> 17:30.630 the whole community is gonna have to come around 17:30.630 --> 17:32.018 the southeastern United States 17:32.018 --> 17:34.072 and our partners in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, 17:34.072 --> 17:36.572 as well as the Seminole Tribe. 17:37.160 --> 17:39.558 You know, the whole community needs to be involved. 17:39.558 --> 17:42.159 Get involved nvoad.org, and again, 17:42.159 --> 17:45.383 activate your insurance policies, if you've had damage, 17:45.383 --> 17:47.558 and go to disasterassistance.gov 17:47.558 --> 17:49.293 if you've been impacted as well. 17:49.293 --> 17:50.626 Thank you folks.