FEMA has faced criticism and praise during Helene. Here's what it does - and doesn't do

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is tasked with helping states and communities hit by disasters like Hurricane Helene.

The video featured is from a previous report.

With Helene hitting during the homestretch of an election year, the agency has been criticized by some residents and politicians, like Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who have questioned its response and are spreading false information that its funding is going to migrants or foreign wars.

The Biden administration has defended FEMA's work and says it has the money it needs to help communities right now.

President Joe Biden does say the agency will need more cash in the future. In a letter late Friday to congressional leaders, he wrote that "while FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund has the resources it requires right now to meet immediate needs, the fund does face a shortfall at the end of the year." He also called on lawmakers to act quickly to restore funding to the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program.

There are a lot of misperceptions about FEMA's role in disaster recovery, what it does - and does not - pay for and what residents in hurricane-hit areas can expect.

Here's a closer look:

What does FEMA do?

FEMA works to supply aid to people in affected areas before, during and after disasters by providing money, technical assistance and guidance, according to the agency.

Former President Jimmy Carter signed an executive order to establish FEMA in 1979, and the agency is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

FEMA works with affected states to coordinate resources and deliver public assistance to cover costs for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective procedures and restoring public infrastructure.

FEMA also offers federal grants to victims to help them with temporary housing, emergency home repairs, loss of personal property, and funeral and medical expenses, among other things.

However, the federal agency is not solely in charge of the disaster relief and recovery process, according to Joshua Dozor, who worked for FEMA for over a decade and most recently served as the deputy assistant administrator for response operations.

"FEMA is a small agency -- they're not an army with trucks," Dozor told ABC News.

Describing the branch as more of an "enabler" for disaster relief, Dozor said, "FEMA coordinates resources across departments and agencies, non-government organizations, contractors, to help the state take the lead role in delivering the response."

In the wake of Hurricane Helene's damage, the agency has faced a wave of criticism and misinformation surrounding its response; however, the agency reports that aid has been delivered in the millions as efforts continue.

As of Sunday, FEMA's federal assistance for affected Helene survivors surpassed $137 million, according to the agency.

FEMA has shipped over 14.9 million meals, more than 13.9 million liters of water, 157 generators and more than 505,000 tarps to the region, the agency said.

"You'll see FEMA at the critical nodes of coordination, you'll see them at the operation centers in the field, you'll see them at the states' operations center, you'll see them at the key hospitals -- but they won't be wearing FEMA hats, so to speak," Dozor said.

Is FEMA running out of money?

As a branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FEMA uses an operating budget and disaster relief fund that Congress replenishes annually.

In September, FEMA's disaster relief fund received $20 billion, the same amount that was supplied by Congress last year. However, approximately $8 billion is set aside for recovery from previous storms and mitigation projects.

RELATED: FEMA doesn't have enough funding to last through hurricane season, Mayorkas warns

"We have the resources that we need to handle Helene and Milton at the same time; no one needs to be concerned about FEMA losing the resources," Keith Turi, FEMA's acting associate administrator for response and recovery, said during an interview on ABC News Live Monday.

Will aid be diverted from Helene survivors to cover Milton?

Turi assured that funding for Helene response across the the southeast will not be impacted by the effects of Milton.

"We are still actively supporting North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Virginia and Tennessee in the response to Helene, and we will not divert any required personnel resources from these ongoing responses," he said.

What happens when the disaster fund runs low?

The disaster assistance fund sometimes runs low in late summer before Congress passes a new budget. When that happens, FEMA shifts to what's called "immediate needs funding." That means the agency stops paying out for previous disasters and conserves its money for life-saving missions during any new ones.

When the disaster relief fund is replenished - like what just happened last week - then money will flow again to longer-term projects.

"Honestly, there's a lot of work that needs to be done to streamline it and rethink, 'How can a disaster relief fund ... be set up in a manner where the FEMA administrator is not constantly having to ask for supplemental funding?" Long said.

Will households receive more than $750 in aid?

As recovery efforts continue, individuals who applied for direct relief payments from FEMA received a $750 initial stipend from the agency; however, this is not the total amount that will be allocated to those affected.

That number, which is designated by Congress not the Biden administration, comes from FEMA's Serious Needs Assistance program and is meant to help survivors pay for expenses related to a disaster, such as food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies.

However, FEMA assistance will not fully restore destroyed homes to their original condition. The most a household can receive from the agency to rebuild is $42,500.

For more information on misinformation surrounding FEMA's disaster response, you can visit the agency's Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response page.

Help people affected by Hurricane Helene. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. Donate now at redcross.org/abc.

The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.