WV and National Disaster News - December 11, 2024

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West Virginia

Disaster Recovery in Mercer County

• Biden approves major disaster declaration for Mercer County (WVVA-TV)
• Location of FEMA disaster recovery center to be announced soon, says Bluefield City Manager (WVVA-TV)
• FEMA heading to Mercer County following disaster declaration  (MetroNews-Radio)
• FEMA announces federal disaster assistance for West Virginia following Helene (Lootpress)

• $10 million allocated to W.Va. farmers still being impacted by drought (WDTV-TV)

• Boone Memorial Hospital among $40 million grant recipients (WOWK-TV)
• Two area facilities receive Rural Hospital Grant funding  (CNHI News)
• Marshall involved in new addiction initiative receiving $20M in WV First Foundation funds  (West Virginia Watch)
• WV First Foundation commits to $20 million investment, pending federal approval (WVNS-TV)

• Beckley Water Company announces two-phase water infrastructure project  (CNHI News)
• West Virginia county purchases cities sewer system (WTRF-TV)

 
Weather

• Winter returns Wednesday; big temperature drop expected as rain turns to snow (WCHS-TV)
• Weather Extra | Snowy Wednesday on tap (WSAZ-TV)
• Wild Weather Wednesday as winter comes screaming back into the region (WVNS-TV)
• West Virginia forecast: 30 degree temperature drop, snow (WBOY-TV) 

• Cacapon Mountain fire burns over 130 acres  (The Morgan Messenger)
• Brushfire Burns 100 Acres Atop Morgan County Mountain, Has Been Contained  (West Virginia Public Broadcasting-Radio)

National News

Disaster Recovery

• FEMA lags behind its prior projection as hundreds of Helene victims await temporary housing (WRAL News) - FEMA approved 536 households impacted by Hurricane Helene for temporary housing units, which are move-in ready trailers. WRAL has learned only 57 households have received them, more than two months since the storm hit. FEMA's Jeremy Slinker said, "It takes time to assess sites, to transport, permit, install and inspect these homes. We are in a hurry and I know sometimes that doesn't feel that way, but we are trying to move as fast as we can. We also don't want to install a unit that's improper."
• Why FEMA says so few NC families are in agency trailers after Helene (WCNC – North Carolina) - FEMA said its trailers are the most well-known but not the most common form of housing assistance after a storm.

 
Weather 

• Atmospheric river and potential bomb cyclone bring chaotic winter weather to East Coast (WBOC)
• 'Painfully cold' Arctic blast across Upper Midwest to trigger heavy lake-effect snow (AccuWeather)
• Developing 'bomb cyclone' with atmospheric river to blast eastern US (AccuWeather)
• New storm train for Pacific coast may include at least one 'bomb cyclone' (AccuWeather)

Wildfire in California

• Malibu wildfire prompts evacuation orders and warnings for 20,000, including Dick Van Dyke and Cher  (Associated Press)
• Firefighters struggle to contain fast-moving Malibu wildfire, prompting evacuation orders (Fox News) - related news: CBS News, NBC News, and C​NN 
• Malibu residents flee as wildfire swallows homes along iconic Southern California coastline (AccuWeather)

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