disaster aid News

FEMA Reconsiders Ban on Disaster Aid to Church Buildings

When disaster strikes, houses of worship are often on the front lines, feeding and sheltering victims. Yet churches, synagogues and mosques are routinely denied aid by the Federal Emergency Management Agency when it comes time to repair or rebuild their …

Trump Signs $36.5B Emergency Aid Bill for Disasters

President Donald Trump signed a $36.5 billion emergency aid measure on Thursday to refill disaster accounts, provide a cash infusion to Puerto Rico and bail out the federal flood insurance program. The president signed the bill after the Senate sent …

White House Warns Next Disaster Bill to Cost ‘Tens of Billions’

The White House says the next request for disaster aid will cost tens of billions of dollars and Congress should consider making cuts in other government programs to finance it. In a letter to top lawmakers in Congress, Office of …

Decisions Still Pending on 3 Florida FEMA Appeals

Florida communities cleaning up and making repairs after Hurricane Irma may expect the U.S. government to reimburse their costs, but an analysis by The Associated Press shows the Federal Emergency Management Agency make take years to pay those bills – …

Texas Delegation Requests $19B in Additional Harvey Aid

The Texas congressional delegation asked Thursday for $19 billion to help the Lone Star State recover from Harvey, with both Republicans and Democrats teaming up behind a request to repair water projects and help homeowners and communities rebuild from the …

After Hurricanes White House Seeks $29B Disaster Aid Package

The Trump administration is finalizing a $29 billion disaster aid package that combines $16 billion to shore up the government-backed flood insurance program with almost $13 billion in new relief for hurricane victims, according to a senior administration official and …

Homeowners Slow Louisiana Flood Recovery

With tens of thousands of Louisiana homes damaged by floodwaters last year, you might expect a mad dash from homeowners scrambling to seek the $1.3 billion in federal recovery aid available for repairs and rebuilding. Instead, state officials still are …

With Insured Losses Estimated at $8.5-$11B, Louisiana Looks to Recovery

Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimates that industry ground-up insurable losses—which include exposures eligible for coverage (regardless of whether they are actually insured) without any application of deductibles or limits—from the flooding in Louisiana caused by excessive rainfall during August …

Massachusetts to Receive $120M in Disaster Aid for Last Year’s Blizzard-Related Costs

Gov. Charlie Baker said Massachusetts is expecting to receive $120 million in federal disaster assistance following last winter’s record snowfall. That’s the most ever awarded to the state as the result of a single natural disaster. Half of the money …

Massachusetts Gets Disaster Declaration for January Blizzard

Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday that federal disaster aid that the state has been granted for a late January blizzard could bring between $80 million and $90 million, but he’s disappointed his broader request wasn’t approved. “I’m disappointed that they …