Latest news with #PresidentialDisasterDeclaration
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed cuts to FEMA could could hurt disaster-prone New Mexico
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways FEMA workers stationed along a road at a disaster recovery center in Glorieta, following the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire in 2022. (Photo by Bright Quashie for Source NM) President Donald Trump's newly released spending proposal identifies more than $600 million to be cut from 'woke' grant programs overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That budget proposal, which needs Congressional approval, does not specify which programs or grants would be axed but says the cuts would enable FEMA to refocus on 'sound emergency management.' It also says the agency previously focused too much on 'intersectional' distribution of disaster aid, 'diversity and inclusion efforts' and 'multicultural training.' 'The Budget reduces bloat and waste while encouraging States and communities to build resilience and use their unique local knowledge and ample resources in disaster response,' Trump officials wrote in the budget summary about proposed changes at FEMA. It's too soon to say what that could mean for disaster-prone New Mexico, local emergency management officials said. But they noted that the state has relied on hundreds of millions of federal dollars for a variety of programs in recent years, even excluding the roughly $5.5 billion FEMA oversees in a special compensation fund for the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire. 'If you were to tell me tomorrow that the federal government were going to turn off the spigot, I would tell you that we will do everything we possibly can in our power and the governor's power to take care of the citizens of New Mexico, but we as a state would struggle,' Deputy DHSEM Secretary Ali Rye told Source, noting that the state doesn't exactly have 'ample resources' for disaster response. DHSEM's budget is a little more than $5 million and funds a core staff of just two people to handle disaster response. Apart from that, the agency relies almost entirely on federal grants, primarily through FEMA, Rye said, for personnel and programs. The Legislature approved funding for five more positions this session in various capacities, Rye said. A FEMA formula, based on the state's population, calculates that New Mexico can withstand about $4 million in damage from a natural disaster before a federal disaster declaration would be necessary here. Once that threshold is reached, state officials apply to FEMA for a Presidential Disaster Declaration, which allows the agency to show up in the state and offer a suite of federally funded programs, such as individual assistance for families affected and reimbursement of 75% of costs incurred by local governments and other public entities. FEMA has allocated a little more than $1 billion for public entities following recent fires and floods here, according to numbers DHSEM spokesperson Danielle Silva provided, along with hundreds of millions in assistance for individuals. Breakdown of federal disaster grants to New Mexico*: FEMA Disaster Case Management $25 million ($12M for Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, $9M for South Fork/Salt Fires, $4M for Roswell-area flooding) This program provides daily communications and program application advocacy and support for more than more than 2,000 NM households affected by disasters, including nearly 1,000 in Mora and San Miguel, Counties, more than 900 in Lincoln County and Mescalero Apache Reservation and more than 350 in Chaves County). FEMA Public Assistance $1.011 billion across all active disaster declarations Funding supports 890 projects for state, local and nonprofit entities to cover costs for emergency response measures and infrastructure like buildings, utilities, roads and bridges FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program $148 million Funding supports 86 mitigation projects statewide, including purchase of additional generators, hardening of potentially at-risk facilities and efforts to improve future disaster resilience. HUD Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery $141 million NM Impact: Programs to address unmet needs for housing, infrastructure and economic revitalization in communities impacted by the South Fork Fire and Salt Fire, as well as the Chaves Flood event and Building Resiliency Center to serve Mora and San Miguel Counties for the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire recovery effort. *According to NM DHSEM spokesperson Danielle Silva But whether those thresholds still apply is an open question, Rye said. She noted that Trump denied Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' request for FEMA aid following severe rainstorms and tornadoes that killed at least three people. 'They haven't been using that formula,' Rye said. 'Right now we're all in a gray zone. We don't know where that threshold is, and we won't know until we apply for a federal declaration and we get either approved or denied.' In addition to the uncertainty and threatened cuts, New Mexico already lost $4 million in expected FEMA funds through the agency's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which was among billions in promised aid cut across the country. While that promised funding aimed at reducing hazard risk hadn't been allocated, a number of worthy recipients applied, Silva said. 'We received a lot of project ideas, including improvements to low water crossings on bus routes, enhanced drainage systems, and clean drinking-water plans,' she said. The proposed cuts come as New Mexico continues to deal with the fallout of three major natural disasters in three years, including two that occurred in 2024: the wildfires in New Mexico in 2022, along with the South Fork and Salt Fires in Ruidoso and Roswell-area flooding last year. The last time the state experienced two federal disaster declarations in the same year was 2014. Excluding the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the state had a reprieve of nearly a decade without any federal disaster declarations before the 2022 wildfires. The acting FEMA secretary is scheduled to testify today before the House Appropriations Committee about her plan for FEMA, which the Department of Homeland Security oversees. Sources told E&E news that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hopes to get rid of all FEMA preparedness programs. Rye estimated that New Mexico has funding from about 15 preparedness grants currently. If recent disaster declarations serve as any indication, the state would need $150 million to $200 million to adequately respond to natural disasters, Silva said. FEMA would reimburse most of those costs, but others the state would have to shoulder alone, like setting up emergency operations centers and conducting damage assessments. New Mexico pays for those disasters via governor's executive orders coming from the state's general fund. Those executive orders are capped at $750,000, meaning the governor often has to issue dozens of them at once to cover all the costs. Already this year, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has issued more than 130 such orders for the South Fork and Salt Fire and Roswell-area flooding, for example. Despite the threat of funding cuts, Rye and Silva said that, no matter what happens, New Mexicans will be spared the cost of natural disasters. 'I would guarantee you right now, the governor will not allow the citizens to struggle,' she said, the next time a disaster occurs.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Iowa Gov. Reynolds requests federal aid for 4 northwest Iowa counties affected by March blizzard
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCAU) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is asking FEMA for federal funding to help those affected by the severe weather that hit northwest Iowa last month. In a release Tuesday, Reynolds' office announced that the governor has requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration for four Iowa counties. The counties — Crawford, Harrison, Monona, and Woodbury — are all located in northwest Iowa. Newly found 'ghost sign' tells historians about Sioux City's past On March 19, 2025, a blizzard went through the region, damaging private property and public infrastructure. A number of power poles were downed, leaving some residents without power for several days. The federal funding would come through FEMA's Public Assistance Program and could be used for the 'restoration of damaged utilities, debris removal, and other emergency protective measures.' An assessment of the four affected counties estimated that over $8 million in damages could be eligible, per the release. Previously, on March 20, Reynolds issued a statewide disaster proclamation for Woodbury, Crawford, Harrison, Monona, and Shelby counties. Another proclamation was issued for Harrison County on March 27. The proclamations allowed for state resources to be used for recovery, with the former expiring on April 3 and the latter set to expire on April 26. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wildfires are complicating cancer care: Study
Wildfires and other climate-induced weather extremes are posing an increased threat to cancer patients by shifting their treatment trajectories and access to care, a new study has determined. Patients recovering from lung cancer surgery within an active wildfire zone required longer hospital stays than those in areas that had no such blazes, scientists reported in the study, published on Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. These lengthier stays could be due to the reluctance of health care providers to discharge patients to a hazardous environment, housing instability or safety issues — or due to the unavailability of routine post-op care, staff shortages or shuttered rehab centers, according to the study. 'There are currently no guidelines for protecting the health and safety of patients recovering from lung cancer surgery during wildfires in the United States,' lead author Leticia Nogueira, scientific director of health services research at the American Cancer Society, said in a statement. 'In the absence of guidelines, clinicians might resort to improvisational strategies,' Nogueira added, noting that doing so serves to 'better protect the health and safety of patients during wildfires.' The complex nature of post-operative recovery from lung cancer procedures coupled with wildfire disasters pose considerable threats to patient health, beyond exposure to smoke, the authors stressed. For example, they pointed to factors like water and soil contamination, evacuation orders while handling mobility and cognitive challenges, disruptions in pharmacy and grocery hours and changes in transportation accessibility. Nogueira and her colleagues studied data available via the National Cancer Database for individuals 18 years or older who received a lobectomy or pneumonectomy for stages 1 to 3 lung cancer between 2004 and 2021. They then evaluated differences between the length of stay for wildfire-exposed patients — those hospitalized in a Presidential Disaster Declaration area between the dates of surgery and discharge — and unexposed patients treated at the same facility during a non-disaster period. The results revealed that patients exposed to a wildfire disaster had hospital stays that were on average two days longer: 9.4 days in comparison to 7.5 days. That two-day difference, which applied to patients across all stages of cancer, could take a toll on U.S. health care systems, as hospital stays nationwide cost about $1,500 per day, according to the study. As climate change continues to intensify and extend wildfire season, the researchers urged health care institutions to adapt and improve their clinical and disaster preparedness strategies for specific patient populations. These tactics, the authors continued, must also account for environmental influences. 'This study is just the tip of the iceberg showing how extreme weather may be impacting patients with chronic illnesses,' senior author Amruta Nori-Sarma, deputy director of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Center for Climate Health and the Global Environment, said in a statement. 'As the wildfire season gets longer and more intense, and wildfires start affecting broader swathes of the U.S. population, health care providers need to be ready with updated guidance that best protects their patients' health,' Nori-Sarma added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
12-03-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Wildfires are complicating cancer care: Study
Wildfires and other climate-induced weather extremes are posing an increased threat to cancer patients by shifting their treatment trajectories and access to care, a new study has determined. Patients recovering from lung cancer surgery within an active wildfire zone required longer hospital stays than those in areas that had no such blazes, scientists reported in the study, published on Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. These lengthier stays could be due to the reluctance of healthcare providers to discharge patients to a hazardous environment, housing instability or safety issues — or due to the unavailability of routine post-op care, staff shortages or shuttered rehab centers, according to the study. 'There are currently no guidelines for protecting the health and safety of patients recovering from lung cancer surgery during wildfires in the United States,' lead author Leticia Nogueira, scientific director of health services research at the American Cancer Society, said in a statement. 'In the absence of guidelines, clinicians might resort to improvisational strategies,' Nogueira added, noting that doing so serves to 'better protect the health and safety of patients during wildfires.' The complex nature of post-operative recovery from lung cancer procedures coupled with wildfire disasters pose considerable threats to patient health, beyond exposure to smoke, the authors stressed. For example, they pointed to factors like water and soil contamination, evacuation orders while handling mobility and cognitive challenges, disruptions in pharmacy and grocery hours and changes in transportation accessibility. Nogueira and her colleagues studied data available via the National Cancer Database for individuals 18 years or older who received a lobectomy or pneumonectomy for stages 1 to 3 lung cancer between 2004 and 2021. They then evaluated differences between the length of stay for wildfire-exposed patients — those hospitalized in a Presidential Disaster Declaration area between the dates of surgery and discharge — and unexposed patients treated at the same facility during a non-disaster period. The results revealed that patients exposed to a wildfire disaster had hospital stays that were on average two days longer: 9.4 days in comparison to 7.5 days. That two-day difference, which applied to patients across all stages of cancer, could take a toll on U.S. healthcare systems, as hospital stays nationwide cost about $1,500 per day, according to the study. As climate change continues to intensify and extend wildfire season, the researchers urged healthcare institutions to adapt and improve their clinical and disaster preparedness strategies for specific patient populations. These tactics, the authors continued, must also account for environmental influences. 'This study is just the tip of the iceberg showing how extreme weather may be impacting patients with chronic illnesses,' senior author Amruta Nori-Sarma, deputy director of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Center for Climate Health and the Global Environment, said in a statement. 'As the wildfire season gets longer and more intense, and wildfires start affecting broader swathes of the U.S. population, health care providers need to be ready with updated guidance that best protects their patients' health,' Nori-Sarma added.
