Evacuees live nomadic life after Maui wildfire as housing shortage intensifies and tourists return
Thousands of people displaced by the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century are facing uncertainty as they try to find housing in an expensive housing market thatโs also in high demand as a vacation spot.
Biden says Norfolk Southern must be held accountable for Ohio derailment but won't declare disaster
President Joe Biden ordered federal agencies to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for its February derailment in eastern Ohio and appoint a FEMA official to oversee East Palestine's recovery, but he stopped short of declaring a disaster.
FEMA has paid out more than $5.6 million to Maui survivors, a figure expected to grow significantly
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday it has approved more than $5.6 million in assistance to nearly 2,000 households in Maui so far as the federal government tries to help survivors of the devastating wildfires.
Michigan Gov. Whitmer: FEMA request for expedited damage assessment of Gaylord tornado approved
FEMA has granted the Governor's request for a joint PDA with state and local officials to help expedite review of the damages and response costs. The PDA is the next step in the process of asking for federal assistance.
Major Disaster Declaration expanded to include Macomb and Oakland counties after record flooding
On Saturday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted her request to expand the Major Disaster Declaration to include households in Macomb and Oakland counties following heavy rainfall and flooding across southeast Michigan in late June. FEMAโs agreement to expand the disaster declaration follows a letter Whitmer sent to FEMA appealing a previous denial of assistance to the areas.
Gov. Whitmer seeks presidential disaster declaration to help Michigan businesses, residents impacted by flooding
On Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requested that President Joe Biden declare a major disaster for the state of Michigan as a result of the heavy rainfall and flooding that occurred in late June.
Residents statewide can make COVID vaccination appointments at Michigan State University Pavilion clinic
Starting Monday, all Michigan residents are welcome to schedule an appointment to get vaccinated at the Michigan State University Pavilion clinic operated by the Ingham County Health Department in partnership with the college. The site is a drive-thru only clinic, and appointments are available as early as this week.
FEMA vaccination sites to close as California ramps up shots
Officials said Friday, March 26, 2021, that the vaccine sites have provided nearly a half-million doses so far. The two sites in Oakland and Los Angeles opened in February for an eight-week pilot program that concludes on April 11. AdOfficials in the county and city of Los Angeles are in discussions about maintaining the site in some fashion, said Dr. Paul Simon, the chief science officer for Los Angeles County. โCaliforniaโs commitment to equity is much more than just two vaccination sites," she said. It was updated on March 27, 2021 to correct that vaccination sites will close April 11, not April 15.
FEMA to provide financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses
As part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020.
Child border crossings surging, straining US facilities
FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2019 file photo, immigrants seeking asylum walk at the ICE South Texas Family Residential Center, in Dilley, Texas. The number of children crossing by themselves, mostly from Central America, appears to be surging in particular in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. AdThe total of 561 unaccompanied minors from Monday offers a snapshot of how quickly conditions have changed along the border. โTheyโre all coming across the border, theyโre coming fast, and theyโre wearing Biden T-shirts,โ said the Oklahoma Republican. The Biden administration last week ended a Trump policy that made relatives reluctant to contact HHS to retrieve children for fear of being deported themselves.
FEMA to help manage unaccompanied minors at US-Mexico border
FILE - In this Monday, March 1, 2021 file photo, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington. The Biden administration is turning to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help managing and caring for record numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children who are streaming into the U.S. from Mexico. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says FEMA will support a government-wide effort over the next three months, Saturday, March 13, 2021. โ The Biden administration is turning to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help managing and caring for record numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children who are streaming into the United States by illegally crossing the border with Mexico. During an record influx of unaccompanied minors in 2014, the Obama administration also turned to FEMA for help coordinating the governmentwide response.
Ford Field in Detroit to become mass vaccination site for Metro Detroit
โIโm pleased to announce the addition of a new FEMA-supported site in Detroit,โ said White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients. โThis site, located at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, has the ability to administer 6,000 shots per day.โUPDATE March 15: You can now register to get vaccinated against COVID at Ford FieldREAD: FEMA to convert Ford Field into regional mass vaccination siteIt was initially reported in February that officials from FEMA were touring Ford Field and were planning to turn the home of the Detroit Lions into a massive vaccination site. โProtect lives and move Michigan and Detroit forward.โThe way forward, she said, is the the vaccination site at Ford Field. I am thrilled that the recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act will deliver resources -- that I secured -- directly to the federal vaccination program at Ford Field. Having this new mass vaccination site operated by FEMA will be a significant step forward for our city and our region toward that goal.
Local 4 News at 5 -- March 12, 2021
Hereโs what is coming up on Local 4 News at 5:Ford Field to become one of 20 regional mass COVID vaccination centers across the countryThe Joe Biden Administration officially announced Friday morning it will be working with state officials to build a new major Community Vaccination Center (CVC) in Detroit. With the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ford Field will become the new home of a regional mass vaccination site.
FEMA to convert Ford Field into regional mass vaccination site
DETROIT โ The Joe Biden Administration officially announced Friday morning it will be working with state officials to build a new major Community Vaccination Center (CVC) in Detroit. With the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ford Field will become the new home of a regional mass vaccination site. UPDATE March 15: You can now register to get vaccinated against COVID at Ford FieldRELATED: Here is Michiganโs updated COVID-19 vaccination schedule: Who is eligible and whenAccording to the White House Coronavirus Task Force, the CVC at Ford Field will be administering 6,000 shots daily. AdIt was initially reported in February that officials from FEMA were touring Ford Field and were planning to turn the home of the Detroit Lions into a massive vaccination site. AdFord Fieldโs use as a CVC will be a large part of Metro Detroitโs vaccination process.
Michigan: All adults eligible for COVID vaccine April 5
LANSING, Mich. โ Michigan announced Friday that all residents age 16 and up will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 5, nearly a month before the May 1 date pledged by President Joe Biden. Two days later, March 24, a federally selected regional mass vaccination site will open at Detroit's Ford Field to administer an additional 6,000 doses a day for two months. โThe safe COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective way to protect you, your family and others from the virus," Gov. โIt will help the country get back to normal and help the economy.โAdMichigan was the third state to announce broad eligibility this week. It may take โseveral weeksโ beyond April 5 for everyone who wants the vaccine to get an appointment, according to the state health department.
Sources: Ford Field to be used as regional mass vaccination site
DETROIT โ Sources have confirmed that Ford Field will be used as a regional mass vaccination site starting next month. Sources in Wayne County said that FEMA has not yet defined what โregionalโ means. Detroit police were quietly providing security outside of Ford Field on Monday while inside a team from FEMA got a close look. FEMA wants Ford Field up and running for vaccinations by mid-March. AdWayne County Commissioner Ray Basham said FEMA is aware of how Michigan county health departments, city health departments and health systems are competing for doses.
FEMA strike team coming to Michigan to help with vaccine distribution
The state of Michigan will receive federal help distributing coronavirus vaccines. Sen. Gary Peters knows vaccine distribution in Michigan has been a challenge. Peters is the chair of the Homeland Security committee over FEMA and now FEMA strike teams are coming in to assist the state. AdAny area having trouble getting vaccine doses into residents will now get help from FEMA. Peters said he has met with President Joe Biden and is pushing for the state to receive more doses.
Crippling storm hampers vaccinations as FEMA opens new sites
Members of the National Guard help motorists check in at a federally-run COVID-19 vaccination site set up on the campus of California State University of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. FEMA opened its first COVID-19 inoculation sites in Los Angeles and Oakland, part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to get shots into arms more quickly and reach minority communities hit hard by the outbreak. In snowy Chicago, Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said more than a hundred city vaccine sites didnโt get shipments Tuesday because of the extreme weather, leading to many cancellations. The Los Angeles site is โproximate to a community that has been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic,โ Gov. โThe effort here is to address that issue forthrightly.โThe Biden administration plans to establish 100 federally assisted vaccination sites nationwide in cooperation with state authorities.
Local 4 News at Noon -- Feb. 12, 2021
DETROIT โ Hereโs what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. Mayor Mike Duggan joins Biden Administration to talk about COVID stimulus planThe Biden administrationโs American Rescue Plan will be discussed at the bi-partisan meeting Friday of governors and mayors, the White House said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has told Detroit it will be reimbursed about $18 million to cover the cityโs coronavirus-related costs including money spent on administering vaccines.
Feds give Michigan $8.3 million for COVID vaccine distribution support
DETROIT โ The state of Michigan is receiving $8.3 million in federal funding for COVID-19 vaccination distribution efforts. AdWhitmer says 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administeredLast week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer revealed that more than 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the state. By the end of Wednesday, the state had administered exactly 1,076,545 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the governor. Earlier in the week, Whitmer said she was working with the federal government to โhelp us get the supply we need to reach our goal and return to the normalcy we all crave.โAdRead more here.
The Latest: Anchorage opens up after COVID-19 drop, vaccines
Plastic surgeon Daniel Suver receives the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine from Andrea Castelblanco during a vaccine clinic on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage is averaging about 60 new COVID-19 cases a day, said Dr. Janet Johnston, the epidemiologist for the Anchorage Health Department. More than 90 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be produced in Japan. Ad___SACRAMENTO -- California reported its second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths โ while the rates of new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations continue to drop. ___ALBANY, N.Y. โ New York may have undercounted COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents by thousands.
The Latest: Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to fall
State health officials Monday reported fewer than 13,000 people were being treated for the virus in Texas hospitals, marking the seventh consecutive day of declining patient loads. Some hospitals and clinics have reported having to cancel immunization appointments because they didnโt have enough vaccine doses to distribute. A little more than half of Ochsner employees have yet to get the vaccine, officials said at a news conference Monday. Tessa Walker Linderman, co-lead of Alaskaโs COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, told reporters the state expects to learn soon what its vaccine allocation will be for February. Health officials are also worried about variants that were first reported in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
President Biden introduces new COVID-19 response plan
President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington. โWe need to ask average Americans to do their part," said Jeff Zients, the White House official directing the national response. Biden officials say they're hampered by lack of cooperation from the Trump administration during the transition. As part of his COVID-19 strategy, Biden will order the establishment of a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force to ensure that minority and underserved communities are not left out of the government's response. Below is Bidenโs โNational Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparednessโ plan, announced on Jan. 21.
Biden puts forth virus strategy, requires mask use to travel
New York officials are pushing for more COVID-19 vaccine doses as the effort to speed up inoculations collides with a lack of vaccine. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday that the city will run out of first doses of COVID-19 vaccine sometime Thursday without fresh supplies. The U.S. mask order for travel being implemented by Biden will apply to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transportation. As part of his COVID-19 strategy, Biden will order the establishment of a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force to ensure that minority and underserved communities are not left out of the government's response. Biden is ordering FEMA to reimburse states for the full cost of using their National Guards to set up vaccination centers.
Biden signs burst of virus orders, vows 'Help is on the way'
President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington. โWe didnโt get into this mess overnight, and it will take months to turn this around,โ Biden said at the White House. Asked about that at the White House on Thursday, Biden told a reporter: โWhen I announced it, you all said itโs not possible. But administration officials stressed that reopening schools safely depends on increased testing. โWe do not have nearly enough testing capacity in this country,โ said White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients.
Watch out LA: Feds calculate riskiest, safest places in US
FILE - In this Monday, June 20, 2016 file photo, smoke from wildfires burning in Angeles National Forest fills the sky behind the Los Angeles skyline. And of the more than 3,000 counties, Los Angeles County has the highest ranking in theNational Risk Index. Chiu)Spending her life in Los Angeles, Morgan Andersen knows natural disasters all too well. And of the more than 3,000 counties, Los Angeles County has the highest ranking in the National Risk Index. The way FEMA calculates the index spotlights places long known as danger spots, like Los Angeles, but some other places highlighted run counter to what most people would think.
Survey finds race- and sex-based harassment 'common' at FEMA
The survey by the RAND Corp. found that such civil rights violations were โcommonโ at FEMA, reported by about 29% of the employees surveyed last year. It found that 20% of FEMA employees reported harassment and discrimination on the basis of sex. A little more than 18% reported violations based on their race or ethnicity. That earlier survey found 24% of women in the military experienced sexual harassment, slightly higher than what was found for women at FEMA. Coreen Farris, the lead author of RANDโs report on FEMA, said the results will provide a baseline for a follow-up survey planned for this spring.
Trump changes course, approves California relief for 6 fires
โJust got off the phone with President Trump who has approved our Major Disaster Declaration request. White House spokesman Judd Deere previously said Californiaโs disaster declaration request โwas not supported by the relevant dataโ needed for approval. Newsom asked for the major disaster declaration on Sept. 28 to cover fires in Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Diego and Siskiyou counties. The White House said Trump quickly approved wildfire relief that was supported by damage estimates. PG&E equipment is being examined in connection with the Zogg Fire in Northern California, and Southern California Edison equipment is under scrutiny in the Bobcat Fire near Los Angeles.
Michigan UIA releases guidance on when to expect bonus $300 unemployment benefit
More than 900,000 Michigan workers who are collecting unemployment benefits are expected to begin receiving a $300 weekly bump in payments this month. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has started processing payments for Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) for eligible Michiganders. Due to the large volume of payments to be processed, workers will begin receiving LWA payments over the next week to ten days. Also, all unemployed workers receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) have already completed this step. States were initially granted three weeks of LWA benefits and must apply for additional weeks.
SC firefighter helping, killed by a semi
LAKANA(CNN) - A South Carolina firefighter died after he was hit by a semi-truck while helping the victim of a car crash. Lexington County Fire Service engineer Paul Quattlebaum and a partner were headed to a medical call Friday afternoon when they saw a collision scene. Harrison Cahill of Lexington County Fire told CNN affiliate WACH. "His loss is felt greatly throughout the Lexington County Fire Service community as well as the emergency services here in Lexington County, including 911 and EMS." "Paul faithfully served the residents and visitors of Lexington County throughout his career," fire chief Mark Davis said.
Why New Orleans is vulnerable to flooding: It's sinking
Sean Gardner/Getty Images(CNN) - New Orleans was built above sea level, but over time, it's been sinking. And from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to threats of flooding this week, a few facts on -- and in -- the ground explain why the Big Easy is uniquely vulnerable to massive flooding. Settlers who got the best land were able to build only about 10 feet above sea level. By the 1930s, one-third of the city was below sea level, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Scientists found that the ground in the area was sinking at a rate of 1 centimeter a year.