Federal Emergency Management Agency

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In Nebraska, 'Mother Nature's Throwing a Doozy at Us'

State of emergency declared as 4 wildfires burn

(Newser) - Nebraska is grappling with the largest wildfire event in its recorded history, with four blazes scorching nearly 750,000 acres across the state and leaving one person dead, per USA Today . As of Monday, the Morrill, Cottonwood, Anderson Bridge, and Road 203 fires had burned a combined 747,167 acres...

Daily Tab for Alligator Alcatraz: $1M

Newly released records show Florida is pumping in a massive amount of cash; feds may not reimburse

(Newser) - Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" didn't just spring up in the Everglades—it came with a price tag that approached Pentagon levels, according to newly released documents obtained by the Florida Trib . Records show Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration sought a $1.49 billion federal grant to support the makeshift immigration detention complex...

Trump Blames Democrats for 'Massive Ecological Disaster'

He says feds will take lead role in response to Potomac sewage spill

(Newser) - President Trump is sending federal help to deal with a major sewage spill in the Potomac River and pinning the blame squarely on local Democrats. In a Truth Social post Monday, Trump called the wastewater release a "massive Ecological Disaster" and accused Washington, DC, and Maryland officials of "...

Emails Suggest Plan to Gut FEMA's Workforce

Leaked DHS plans target CORE staff, surge teams for deep cuts

(Newser) - Internal planning documents suggest the federal government is weighing steep cuts to the frontline ranks of FEMA, even as the agency and its parent department publicly insist no such downsizing is underway. The Washington Post and CNN report that Department of Homeland Security emails circulated in late December outlined possible...

Acting FEMA Chief Resigns After 6 Months

Richardson was criticized for being unreachable during Texas floods

(Newser) - David Richardson has resigned as the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, ending a short and controversial tenure at the helm of the nation's disaster response agency. Richardson, who served about six months in the role, was often described as difficult to reach and kept a notably...

MacKenzie Scott Makes One of Her Biggest Nonprofit Gifts Ever

Billionaire philanthropist donates $60M to Center for Disaster Philanthropy

(Newser) - MacKenzie Scott, one of the world's richest women and most influential philanthropists, has donated $60 million to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, according to a Tuesday announcement from the nonprofit. The donation is among the largest single gifts that Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has made...

FEMA: No More Emergency Funds Until Population Recount

States must verify totals, without counting deported migrants, before funds will be released

(Newser) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has paused the release of more than $300 million in emergency preparedness grants, asking states to recalculate their populations excluding deported migrants. The move, which impacts Emergency Management Performance Grants used for disaster preparation and emergency services, is an unprecedented change—previously, FEMA relied...

FEMA Staff Sound Alarm Over Trump Plans

Workers say leadership gaps, funding cuts could leave citizens fending for themselves amid disaster

(Newser) - Days before the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, FEMA employees have issued a stark warning to Congress: the Trump administration's cuts could leave the nation dangerously unprepared for the next major disaster. In a letter dubbed the "Katrina Declaration," 182 current FEMA staffers criticized White House...

FEMA Boss Jokes He Didn't Know About Hurricane Season

Agency has also reportedly junked its new hurricane plan

(Newser) - The recently installed head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says the agency has scrapped its new hurricane-response plan and will be using last year's plan, according to sources who spoke to the Wall Street Journal . The sources say some at FEMA aren't sure how exactly that will...

FEMA: Here's Why We're Not Testing Soil After LA Wildfires

Federal agency says it's removing 6 inches of topsoil and that's good enough

(Newser) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency is defending its decision not to carry out soil testing amid cleanup efforts in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires after backlash erupted. FEMA originally announced that six inches of topsoil would be removed from destroyed properties, but that no testing would be done...

FEMA Fires CFO, 3 Others Over NYC Migrant Shelter Payments

City officials refute accusations that disaster relief funds were diverted to pay for migrants in hotels

(Newser) - On Tuesday, President Trump went on an online tear against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, calling the agency a "disaster" that "should be terminated" and noting that it was "under review and investigation." More official repercussions followed, with an announcement from the Department of Homeland Security...

FEMA Worker Fired Over Order on Pro-Trump Homes

Supervisors told employees not to help Florida homes with Trump signs

(Newser) - A FEMA worker has been fired after she directed workers helping hurricane survivors not to go to homes with yard signs supporting Donald Trump, the agency's leader said Saturday. "This is a clear violation of FEMA's core values and principles to help people regardless of their political...

Armed Militia Reportedly 'Out Hunting FEMA' After Hurricane
Arrest Made in Threats
Against FEMA Workers
updated
Oct 14, 2024 6:05 PM CDT

Arrest Made in Threats Against FEMA Workers

North Carolina officials say there was no armed militia patrolling the area

(Newser) - Law enforcement officials reported Monday that an armed suspect was arrested in western North Carolina on charges of making threats against federal emergency response workers helping with the hurricane recovery. The 44-year-old man was taken into custody at a supermarket where a FEMA bus was parked on Saturday, they said,...

FEMA Spent Almost Half Year's Budget in 8 Days

Unless Congress adds funding, agency could have to limit rebuilding projects

(Newser) - Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned last week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency's budget might not withstand another hurricane. Hours before Milton struck in Florida, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a briefing, "I'm going to have to evaluate how quickly we're burning the remaining...

WH on False Helene Rumors: Stop 'Spreading This Poison'

Conspiracy theories about disaster relief abound in the wake of deadly hurricane

(Newser) - As local, state, and federal authorities scramble to help those hit hardest by Hurricane Helene , which killed more than 220 , they've got another problem to deal with: conspiracy theories about relief efforts, per Reuters and CNN . "Disinformation of this kind can discourage people from seeking critical assistance when...

FEMA's Budget Can't Weather Another Hurricane

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said 'we do not have the funds'

(Newser) - Hurricane season doesn't wrap up until Nov. 30, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's budget may not make it until then. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday that the agency is "meeting the immediate needs" after Hurricane Helene with the funds it currently has. But "...

Get Ready for Lots of Noise Wednesday Afternoon

FEMA, FCC are conducting emergency alert test

(Newser) - Starting midday on Wednesday, your cellphone will likely start making a lot of noise—and it won't be alone. FEMA, in conjunction with the FCC, will be conducting a nationwide test of both its Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts, with an emergency alert sent to radios and...

FEMA Told Them to Get Out. It Was Pretty Much Impossible

The 'Washington Post' looks at Camp Fire survivors' inability to find housing

(Newser) - The hits just kept coming for Mike Erickson. The California man lost his home in 2016 in the face of medical debt incurred by wife Crystal's stroke, which partly paralyzed her. In November 2018 came the Camp Fire, which decimated the town of Paradise and left Mike and Crystal...

Texas Requests 5 Mobile Morgues
Texas Requests
5 Mobile Morgues
Aug 17, 2021 12:20 PM CDT

Texas Requests 5 Mobile Morgues

'Deaths are starting to mount for sure'

(Newser) - Texas has asked the federal government to supply five trailers to serve as morgues with COVID-19 deaths in the state expected to mount. Texas Department of State Health Services spokesman Doug Loveday tells NBC News that the request was made Aug. 4 as "we are anticipating a need within...

Biden Doubles Budget for Extreme Weather Planning

FEMA funds community preparations before disasters hit

(Newser) - With wildfires, floods and other weather-related disasters steadily worsening, President Biden doubled the budget for communities trying to mitigate the destruction through preparation. The added $500 million will make for a total of $1 billion in a Federal Emergency Management Agency program that distributes money to do things like move...

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