Latest news with #MajorDisasterDeclaration
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City leaders to discuss bills, federal aid for tornado recovery
ST. LOUIS – City leaders in St. Louis are set to consider two bills on Tuesday aimed at helping families recover from the devastating EF-3 tornado. The EF-3 tornado hit parts of St. Louis on May 16 and left five people dead, along with many homes unlivable. As families in St. Louis work to rebuild and recover, local and federal efforts aim to ease the process and provide much-needed support. The first bill proposes expanding the city's Impacted Tenant Fund to assist families displaced by natural disasters with relocation costs. Originally designed to support renters affected by building code violations, the fund could now extend to tornado victims. Donate here: Help support St. Louis storm victims The second bill would allow temporary adjustments to property assessments based on the duration a home was livable during the year, potentially reducing tax burdens for storm-damaged properties. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has requested a Major Disaster Declaration from President Trump to unlock federal aid for St. Louis and surrounding counties. This aid would cover temporary housing, home repairs, and emergency needs for storm victims. A public hearing on the proposed bills is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, providing an opportunity for community members to voice their opinions and concerns. The National Guard is set to assist with debris removal and cleanup efforts on Wednesday. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oregon Congress members urge White House to approve FEMA request for floods
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Members of the U.S. Congress representing Oregon are urging for approval of after devasting floods hit Harney County and other counties in March. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Representative Val Hoyle are asking the federal government to approve the Major Disaster Declaration. Feds to recover $6.7M in stolen Portland city funds In a joint statement to President Donald Trump, the lawmakers said the FEMA funding is necessary after communities were severely damaged in Coos, Curry, Douglas and Harney counties from March 13-20. The flooding happened when warm rains, rapid snowmelt, runoff, erosion and other weather events flooded three rivers, with wind gusts causing power outages and block roads. 'We encourage your administration to deliver the tools needed to protect lives, restore order, and families back on their feet,' the joint statement said. 'Oregon has demonstrated its ability to successfully use federal disaster dollars in the past, and we are confident they will be effective and efficient with funds from FEMA should they be provided for this disaster as well. They're also urging the White House to make the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program available to in a way that prevents future disaster losses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas Governor says President will approve storm relief for Arkansans
ARKANSAS — President Donald Trump is expected to declare a Major Disaster in Arkansas for the state's severe storms from April 2. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders previously submitted a request for a Major Disaster Declaration in response to this storm. 'President Trump stands with Arkansas. As we recover from a long series of severe weather events, our state is incredibly thankful for President Trump's leadership and work to deliver aid to storm-impacted communities,' said Governor Sanders. 'I have had continued conversations with the Trump Administration and Secretary Noem about their plans to reform FEMA and look forward to working with them to save money and get assistance directly in the hands of disaster victims.' Individual assistance will be available for Arkansans who were impacted by the storms. County and local government expenses will be covered by public assistance if needed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
FEMA officials, multi-agency resources arrive in Pulaski County: Where to go for help
PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — Federal and state officials announced that resources for tornado victims were made available starting on Thursday, May 22, in Pulaski County. The county's judge executive, Marshall Todd, announced on Thursday that FEMA staff would be in the area recording and reporting storm damage from Friday's deadly tornado. Officials noted that all FEMA employees would have proper identification. The documentation process is meant to help state leaders in their requests to President Trump for federal assistance. Fallen Scott County sheriff's deputy remembered on second anniversary of passing Mt. Vernon, London music organizations band together to support grieving musicians Gov. Beshear provides tornado recovery update: 'We will rebuild' Just after 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM) announced that those who have suffered damage or loss in the tornadoes and storms that struck Kentucky on May 16 can visit the Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset to take important steps toward recovery. According to officials, representatives from KYEM and other partner agencies will be available at the center's auditorium to help with home damage assessments, shelter, transportation needs, and more. There will also be team members available to help replace documents such as birth certificates and social security cards, which will reportedly be essential for storm victims who become eligible for federal help through FEMA. 'Governor Andy Beshear has asked President Donald Trump for a Major Disaster Declaration; that would authorize FEMA Individual & Household Assistance for survivors in Caldwell, Christian, Laurel, Pulaski, Russell, Todd, Trigg and Union Counties,' KYEM officials said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP Senator Begs for Disaster Aid as FEMA Snubs Another Red State
Senators grilled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday over her management of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and how the agency — which President Donald Trump has sought to dismantle — is responding to a series of devastating storms across the southern United States. During a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) asked Noem what she would do about pending federal disaster declaration requests for the state of Missouri — which has been wracked by a series of deadly tornadoes — that have not been approved by the president. Mississippi, which is still recovering from extreme weather events in March, is also waiting for approval on months-old disaster relief declarations. 'The state has pending three requests for major disaster declarations from earlier storms we've lost over a dozen people. Well, actually, if you count the folks we lost just on Friday, we've lost almost 20 people now in major storms just in the last two months in Missouri,' Hawley said. 'Will you commit to helping, for those three major disaster declaration requests that are pending, will you expedite those, Secretary Noem, and get those in front of the president, get those approved?' Hawley asked. 'We are desperate for the assistance in Missouri.' Noem replied that she would make sure the applications were put before Trump as soon as possible, and agreed to expedite individual assistance for qualified Missourians impacted by the recent storms. A prominent Republican lawmaker like Hawley begging a Republican administration to approve emergency aid for a Republican state is a sign of how badly federal agencies responsible for the welfare of vulnerable populations have eroded under Trump. The plea came a day after St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer told MSNBC that 'FEMA has not been on the ground' and that the city does not 'have confirmed assistance from FEMA at this point.' 'What we need right now is federal assistance. This is where FEMA and the federal government has got to come in and help communities. Our city cannot shoulder this alone. The state of Missouri cannot shoulder this alone,' Spencer said. 'We need partners at the national level, at the federal level, to step up and help — and this is not just true for St. Louis. Cities across the nation, when they are experiencing disasters such as this, this is what the federal government is for.' Last month, Arkansas' Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders — who previously served as Trump's press secretary — issued a letter to the president pleading with him to reconsider FEMA's denial of an emergency disaster declaration request as the state recovered from a series of tornadoes in March. In her letter, Sanders wrote that 'without the support of a Major Disaster Declaration, Arkansas will face significant challenges in assuming full responsibility and achieving an effective recovery from this event,' and that 'supplemental Federal assistance is crucial' to recovery efforts. The declaration was finally issued on May 13, almost exactly two months after the storms hit the state, and a month after Huckabee wrote to the president. Meanwhile, Kentucky's Democratic Governor Andy Beshear appeared on CNN to discuss the tornadoes that killed 19 people in the state over the last week. 'I'm very concerned about cuts to FEMA or to the National Weather Service,' Beshear said. 'But I want to be clear that the actual response on the ground by the Trump administration and Secretary Noem has been good. The way FEMA has treated people has been good. The president has approved each of our applications,' he added. The disparity in response levels speaks to the scattershot, disorganized manner with which the Trump administration has handled disaster responses. In the months since Trump assumed office, FEMA has been hit with sweeping staffing and management cuts in accordance with Trump and Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives. In March, Noem announced that she would move to 'eliminate' the agency altogether and transfer disaster management responsibilities to individual states. FEMA's interim head Cameron Hamilton was removed from his post earlier this month after testifying before Congress that he felt the agency's demise would be detrimental to public welfare. His replacement, former Marine Corps Officer David Richardson, sent a dire warning to staff: 'Don't get in my way […] because I will run right over you. I will achieve the president's intent.' During Tuesday's Senate hearing, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) grilled Noem on the Trump administration's plans to gut FEMA, and how it would affect their ability to respond to disasters. 'You are losing a fifth of the workforce at FEMA. What's your plan to replace them?' Blumenthal asked. 'How are you going to meet the needs of our constituents?' Noem dodged the question, talking over Blumenthal's attempts to redirect her and claiming that it was actually the Biden administration's fault that the agency was bloated and ineffective. But as much as Trump's Cabinet would like to place the failings of the administration at the feet of his predecessor, the states currently attempting to manage deadly disasters aren't running to Joe Biden for assistance — they're begging the current occupant of the White House. 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