Staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to answer nearly half of calls placed in one recent week amid the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton as residents seek federal aid.

Hurricane Milton made landfall in the state of Florida last month only days after Hurricane Helene struck several states across the southeastern part of the country. FEMA revealed in a recent report that their overwhelmed federal call centers were able to manage slightly more than half of incoming call traffic from impacted citizens as others faced prolonged wait times.

One caller from western North Carolina whose home was flooded by Hurricane Helene told the media that he called FEMA and was informed by a recording that he had spot 675 in line to speak with a staffer at the agency. Thousands of other callers have faced similar delays.

The report from FEMA also warned that the agency is facing staff shortages as employees handle the aftermath of the storms, limiting their capacity to deal with other possible disasters.

FEMA meanwhile announced on Tuesday that they will deploy some $2.7 billion in financial assistance to aid survivors of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. The funds will be used for “housing repairs, personal property replacement, and other essential recovery efforts,” as well as the “debris removal and emergency protective measures” needed to prevent more damage.

Officials in both North Carolina and Florida were also forced to make amendments to their voting processes after Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton devastated multiple communities.