WV and National Disaster News - December 17, 2021

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WEST VIRGINIA

Government

WV Daily COVID Update & Stats for December 17, 2021 (WV DHHR) - There have been 22 deaths reported since the last report (yesterday, 12-16-21) with a total of 5,164 deaths attributed to COVID-19.  DHHR has confirmed the deaths of an 89-year old female from Berkeley County, a 70-year old female from Raleigh County, a 47-year old male from Hardy County, an 83-year old female from Monroe County, a 59-year old male from Putnam County, a 72-year old female from Brooke County, a 52-year old male from Berkeley County, a 66-year old male from Hampshire County, a 58-year old male from Harrison County, an 89-year old male from Berkeley County, an 87-year old male from Brooke County, a 61-year old female from Cabell County, a 62-year old male from Brooke County, an 82-year old female from Jackson County, a 60-year old male from Ohio County, a 56-year old female from Jackson County, an 83-year old female from Raleigh County, a 68-year old male from Hancock County, an 89-year old male from Randolph County, a 54-year old male from Monongalia County, a 53-year old male from Lewis County, and a 58-year old male from Lewis County.

“As we share this sad news, we pause to remember each West Virginian lost,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. “Protect your loved ones by scheduling a COVID vaccine or booster.”

Local

• West Virginia officials preparing for more omicron cases (The Parkersburg News and Sentinel)
• Omicron Variant Detected In W. Va., Rapid Spread Expected (WV Public Broadcasting-Radio), also see WVMetroNews
• State health officials confirm Marion County resident tests positive for omicron variant (WCHS-TV)
• COVID-19 patients at 2 Eastern Panhandle hospitals “very sick” (MetroNews-Radio)
• UPDATE: Fire destroys abandoned home on Clarksburg, West Virginia's Floyd Street (WV News)
• Harrison-Taylor (West Virginia) 911 Center dispatches 221 calls to emergency responders in past 30 hours (WV News)

NATIONAL NEWS

COVID

• America Is Not Ready for Omicron (The Atlantic)
• CDC program offers travelers free at-home COVID test kits at select US airports (USA Today)
• Covid-19 is raging across the US, with a surge in cases and hospitalizations causing new disruptions (CNN)
• Omicron may multiply 70 times faster than delta; new variant dominant in Disney World county: Latest COVID-19 updates (USA Today)
• Biden Administration Goes to Supreme Court in Effort to Find Support For Vaccine Mandate (Newsweek)

WEATHER

• FEMA registers over 5,500 victims of Kentucky tornadoes  (Fox Weather)
• Tornado, storm death toll at 90 after KY teen's body found (WV News)
• Fact Check: False claim that FEMA gave Kentuckians affected by tornadoes vaccines, not aid (USA Today)
• FEMA to Issue New Homeowner Flood Form (The National Law Review)

• Deadly outburst of extreme weather blitzes center of U.S. killing 5 (AccuWeather) - Related News links: Weather Channel,  AccuWeather,  Kansas City Star (MO), NBC News  as cleanup operations continue.  The Associated Press reports Weather Company historian Chris Burt says, “I can say with some confidence that this event (the heat and tornadoes) is among the most (if not THE most) anomalous weather event ever on record for the Upper Midwest.” The governors of Kansas and Iowa have declared states of emergency due to the storms. There were more than 20 tornado reports from the system and hundreds of wind damage reports.