WV and National Disaster & Preparedness News - January 11, 2023

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WEST VIRGINIA
 
COVID
WV Daily COVID Update and Stats for January 11, 2023 (WV DHHR) - There have been 12 deaths reported since yesterday's report, with a total of 7,761 deaths attributed to COVID-19. There are currently 1,079 active COVID-19 cases statewide. For detailed stats, see link.

• DHHR Reports 29 Additional COVID Deaths this week  (WV Public Broadcasting-Radio)
• West Virginia woman sentenced for COVID-19 business relief loan fraud  (WOWK-TV)

Education & Training

• WVU Extension to offer free emergency medical course  (WTAP-TV)
• Citizens Police Academy and CERT training returning to Buckhannon  (WBOY-TV) 

Energy

• Advocates Pitch Community Solar to State Lawmakers. Some Say No (WV Public Broadcasting-Radio)
• OPINION: A new way to continue West Virginia's energy tradition  (The Exponent Telegram)

Infrastructure

• West Virginia surpasses more than half of Justice's $1 billion investment goal for broadband expansion  (MetroNews-Radio)

Weather & Recovery

• Leftovers of atmospheric river will bring rain and snow to West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio  (WOWK-TV)
• Raleigh County volunteers band together to help those impacted by water crisis  (WVVA-TV) – Beckley CERT Volunteers helped distribute water. They handed out nearly a dozen pallets of water at the Sophia Volunteer Fire Department and went door-to-door in Slab Fork and Hotchkiss, passing out bottles of water to the last residents to see their water return.
• Two weeks and counting, some Raleigh residents still without water  (Yahoo News)
• WV emergency officials persisting in grouping flooding damages together to appeal FEMA disaster aid denials (The Logan Banner)

NATIONAL NEWS

COVID & Monkey Pox

• People who haven't had COVID will likely catch XBB.1.5 – and many will get reinfected (USA Today)
• Some School Mask Mandates Make a Temporary Return as COVID-19, Flu and RSV Spread (US News)
• Monkey pox has faded in the US. Who deserves the credit? (WTOP)

Infrastructure

• Federal COVID aid OK'd to pay for roads, natural disasters (WBOC)

Weather & Recovery

• Southern US at risk of severe storms, drenching downpours (AccuWeather)
• Snow, ice and rain to create travel headaches in Midwest and Northeast ​(AccuWeather)
• Rains blamed for 17 deaths in California, a state primed for very different natural disasters (NBC News), related news: CNN, KION News 46 (CA)  and The Weather Channel
• No rest for the weary: More flooding rain to eye California (AccuWeather) 
• Los Angeles at Greater Flood Risk Than Government Estimates, Study Shows (The Wall Street Journal)
• Florida Hurricane Ian survivors face deadline to apply for FEMA aid (Fox Business) related news: Fox News 4 (FL) and  WESH News 2 (FL) 
• ​Extreme weather, fueled by climate change, cost the U.S. $165 billion in 2022 (NPR)
• The last eight years have been the warmest on record, researchers say (Washington Post)
• EPA to award $100M to boost environmental justice programs (WTOP)

Other

• Federal agency is considering a ban on gas stoves in the US, report says: 'Hidden hazard' (USA Today)
• Flights across the U.S. affected after FAA experiences computer outage (AOL)
• Live Updates: Flights Grounded Across U.S. After F.A.A. System Failure (New York Times)​ 

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