WV and National Disaster & Weather News - February 14, 2025

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West Virginia
Flood Warnings & Preparedness

• Crews to begin installing floodwall gates in Huntington ahead of expected flooding (WCHS-TV)
• MOV insurance agency talks about flooding risks for Valentines Day weekend (WTAP-TV)
• River flood warnings issued for Coal, Guyandotte, Little Sandy and Tug (WCHS-TV)
• Weekend flooding threat across the Mid-Ohio Valley (WTAP-TV)
• Huntington under State of Emergency for possible flooding (WOWK-TV)
• Summers County Emergency Management prepares for possible flooding over weekend (WVNS-TV) 

Public Health

• West Virginia Senate Health Committee recommends weakening school-age vaccine requirements  (The Parkersburg News & Sentinel) 

• Rain is coming, West Virginia tries to prepare  (MetroNews-Radio)

National News 

Avian (Bird) Flu

• After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people (NPR News)
• Some people didn't know they had a bird flu infection, study of veterinarians suggests (Associated Press)
• 2nd bird flu virus detected in western US. What does this mean for prevention? (ABC News)
• Sales of backyard chickens that lay their own eggs are booming as bird flu causes prices to crack new records (Fortune)
• Sussex County backyard flock destroyed over avian flu (Cape Gazette)
• How Infected Backyard Poultry Could Spread Bird Flu to People (CDC)
• Backyard Flock Owners: Protect Yourself from Bird Flu (CDC)
• New evidence suggests bird flu in veterinarians went undetected (STAT News)
• BIRD FLU Statistics (CDC)

• Evacuations issued in Southern California as heavy rain brings flooding and landslides (CNN) , related news: AP News 

Flood Prevention Rules Eased

• FEMA Quietly Eases Rules Meant to Protect Buildings in Flood Zones (DNYUZ.com) - reports FEMA has paused enforcing a policy that schools, libraries and other public facilities damaged by disasters be rebuilt to prevent future flood damage if they are to qualify for FEMA funding. The article says the change to the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard was sent internally in a Feb. 4 memo by FEMA's chief counsel, Adrian Sevier, that was reviewed by the New York Times 

• Winter Storm Jett On The Move To Midwest, Northeast With Snow And Ice Threats This Weekend (The Weather Channel)
• Severe thunderstorms, flooding rain to hammer southern US this weekend (AccuWeather)
• Snowstorm to snarl travel from Iowa, Minnesota to Maine and Massachusetts (AccuWeather)​ 

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