WV and National Disaster News - August 18, 2022

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WEST VIRGINIA

COVID
WV Daily COVID Update & Stats for August 18, 2022 (WV DHHR) – there are currently 2,842 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been seven deaths reported since the last report posted yesterday, with a total of 7,230 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 70-year old male from Jackson County, a 46-year old male from Logan County, a 71-year old female from Raleigh County, an 84-year old male from Putnam County, a 97-year old male from Harrison County, an 81-year old female from Kanawha County, and an 84-year old female from Kanawha County.
 
 
FLOOD RECOVERY

• Agencies considering options after Fayette sewer line destroyed in flood (MetroNews-Radio)
• Residents Warned Against Recreation Along Parts Of Kanawha River  (West Virginia Public Broadcasting-Radio)
• Flooding leads to possible raw sewage discharge in West Virginia state waters  (WOWK Huntington)
• Road, bridge damage in Kanawha, Fayette counties likely to exceed $1 million  (MetroNews-Radio)
• Fields of heartbreak: Flooding leaves mess at Eastern Kanawha youth sports complexes  (WCHS Charleston)
• Kanawha County Commission buys $25K in clean-up supplies after flood  (WOWK Huntington)
• Flood cleanup of debris continues; push to get cleaning supplies announced  (WCHS Charleston)
• Collapsed culvert in Kanawha County still causing unwanted lake  (WOWK Huntington)
• Flood relief site opens in Smithers, West Virginia  (WOWK Huntington)
• Volunteers needed as work begins to rebuild Fayette County communities  (WVVA Bluefield)
• Clean-up efforts continue in Kanawha and Fayette counties in wake of flooding  (MetroNews-Radio)
• Residents in Kanawha and Fayette counties are cleaning up from Monday's flood. Here's how you can help (The Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• SALS opening doors to those affected by floods (The Register-Herald)
• Smithers Residents Begin Recovery After Devastating Flood  (Government Technology)
• Senior flood victims may need face-to-face help for claims  (WVNS Lewisburg), related news: WVNS Lewisburg
• West Virginia newlyweds lose everything in Kanawha County flooding  (WOWK Huntington)
• 'The neighborhood is wore out,' says Kanawha resident worried about future flooding  (WCHS Charleston)
• WV American Water donates $10,000 to local American Red Cross for Kanawha and Fayette County flood relief  (WOAY Oak Hill)
• WV: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP REBUILD AFTER FLOOD - VIDEO (WFMZ Harrisburg)

 
NATIONAL NEWS

COVID

• COVID-19 offers lessons on fighting climate change (The Hill)
• Dr. Ashish Jha discusses plans for new Covid-19 booster (NBC News)
• Walensky, citing botched pandemic response, calls for CDC reorganization (Seattle Times), related news: CBS News (video)

• ​​Monkeypox vaccine maker can't keep up with demand as case numbers swell (CBS News)​
• How to Protect Against Monkeypox as School Starts (New York Times)
• Biden officials accelerating monkeypox vaccine effort with 1.8 million additional doses and other steps (CNN)
• New York House Dems. urge Biden to invoke DPA over monkeypox vaccine shortage (UPI)

• Flash floods also hit East St. Louis. So why aren't residents there getting FEMA assistance? (St. Louis Dispatch – Missouri), related news:  KSDK News 5 (MO) 
• Forecasters monitoring southwestern Gulf of Mexico for potential tropical development (AccuWeather), related news: The Weather Channel and Orlando Sentinel (FL) 
• FEMA Holds Hurricane Season Briefing with National Coalition Partners (Homeland Security Today)

 
OTHER

• DHS Tests Next Generation Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Alerting Technology (Homeland Security Today) - Integrating IPAWS with new technologies could enable critical information, such as evacuation routes and safety zones, to be communicated to the public in near real-time​

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