WV and National Disaster & Weather News - January 27, 2024

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West Virginia

Disaster Recovery

• US Small Business Administration is offering low interest loans for those affected by Tropical Storm Helene (WOAY)

• Evacuation order remains in effect Monday morning for Chestnut Hills area of Clarksburg (West Virginia) (WV News)
• Clarksburg (West Virginia) Fire, Police respond to explosion in Chestnut Hills community (WV News)
• Officials scramble to find shelter for those displaced by Clarksburg gas leak (WBOY)
• One person suffers life-threatening injuries following house explosion in Clarksburg, West Virginia (WTAE)

• WV Department of Health and Department of Homeland Security step in to help Mingo County resolve water issues (WV Metro News)
• Mingo County Public Service District under investigation (WOWK)

Wildfire Safety Tips

• West Virginia Division of Forestry shares fire safety tips in anticipation of wildfire season (WOAY)

• Test of WVU Alert system scheduled for this week (Mountaineer News)

National News

FEMA & Disaster Recovery

• Everyone agrees FEMA needs to change. The question is how (CNN) – analysis of FEMA's role in disaster response and how it currently works.
• Trump establishes council to review federal disaster response agency (Reuters), related news: Axios   
• Touring disaster sites, Trump says he wants to get rid of FEMA (MSN)
• 'Getting rid of FEMA': Takeaways from Trump's trip to two disaster zones (USA Today)
• Trump suggests getting rid of FEMA, conditioning federal aid for California (Scripps News)
• Trump's acting head of FEMA (Cam Hamilton, Navy SEAL), reassures staff after Trump criticism (Reuters)

Flood Insurance

• ​Insurance reform worsens affordability in flood-prone Louisiana (Louisiana Illuminator)

Other

• Freighter with 17 aboard gets trapped in ice on Lake Erie (PennLive)​ 

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