WV and National Disaster & Weather News - May 7, 2025

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West Virginia

Disaster Resilience and Recovery

• Morrisey in Beckley talks energy resources, flood recovery and healthier living (WOAY) - Flood recovery was a significant part of the governor's first 100 days in office. He says to date, some of the affected areas have received more than $27 million, and his administration worked hard to get FEMA approvals.
• Gov. Morrisey speaks on issues affecting southern West Virginia (WVNS) - “We know that there are opportunities for risk mitigation into the future. I'm hopeful that a lot of the localities are going to take advantage of that, because when you get the Federal approval for disaster relief, it's not just the individual and public assistance. You might have the ability to mitigate and get grant money for the future so that you can erect barriers and walls and things that might keep the water out a little bit more," the Governor told 59News.

Electric Power Reliability

• WV's poor electric reliability got worse last year amid long-lasting outages (Charleston Gazette Mail)

National News

FEMA Changes

• Noem defends plans to slice FEMA, DHS programs (The Hill), committee hearings
• Homeland Security chief faces questions about immigration enforcement, funding cuts during House subcommittee hearing (Spectrum News)
• Rep. Tom Cole (R- Oklahoma) told Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that the canceled grants are “extraordinarily valuable to communities." (E&E News)
• Get FEMA out of Homeland Security, says Florida Rep. Byron Donalds says he knows how to fix FEMA, cut bureaucracy (Daily Caller)
• Former FEMA official says Trump administration's approach to FEMA differs from Clinton's (Arkansas Gazette) - Kay Goss served as associate director of FEMA during Bill Clinton's presidency says the difference between the President Trump's approach to disasters and Clinton's comes down to whether the focus is on dollars or people.

 
Disaster Recovery

• Ravaged Palisades mobile home park now eligible for federal debris removal: 'It feels hopeful' (LA Times), related news: Santa Monica Mirror 

• Gyre could jump-start tropical activity ahead of hurricane season (AccuWeather)
• Rescue crews recover body of 10-year-old swept away by floodwaters in Texas (AccuWeather)
• Severe storms to rattle areas in south-central and southeast US (AccuWeather)
• Heavy rain to cra​wl eastward over southern US (AccuWeather)

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