What happens if a hurricane makes landfall while the government is shut down

A firefighter surveys damage in South Pasadena, Florida, on October 10, 2024, the day after it was hit by Hurricane Milton. Ted Richardson for The Washington Post/Getty Images

The two massive tropical systems swirling off the Southeast coast are a stark reminder that the potential government shutdown looms during the middle of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Weather forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and disaster response specialists at the Federal Emergency Management Agency are planning to keep working during the shutdown — as has been the case in previous shutdowns — but a lapse in government funding is still likely to disrupt storm preparedness and response efforts for hurricanes and other disasters, experts told CNN.

Both NOAA and FEMA are enteri