WV and National Disaster News - December 20, 2021

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Kentucky Tornado Relief Information

WEST VIRGINIA

Government

WV Daily COVID Update for December 20, 2021 (WV DHHR) - There have been 27 deaths reported since the last report (Friday, 12-17-21), with a total of 5,191 deaths attributed to COVID-19. DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 72-year old male from Kanawha County, a 67-year old female from Harrison County, a 69-year old male from Nicholas County, a 32-year old male from Braxton County, an 84-year old male from Ohio County, a 69-year old male from Jackson County, a 59-year old female from Wayne County, a 64-year old male from Barbour County, a 77-year old male from Berkeley County, an 86-year old male from Preston County, a 72-year old female from Randolph County, a 64-year old female from Jackson County, a 65-year old female from Raleigh County, a 68-year old female from Lewis County, a 73-year old female from Jackson County, a 59-year old female from Kanawha County, a 75-year old female from Wetzel County, a 60-year old female from Braxton County, a 62-year old male from Monongalia County, an 86-year old female from Marshall County, an 82-year old male from Taylor County, a 74-year old female from Wyoming County, a 67-year old male from Berkeley County, a 66-year old male from Monroe County, an 84-year old female from Nicholas County, a 59-year old female from Upshur County, and a 72-year old female from Mingo County.

 “We send our sincere condolences to these families for their profound loss,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. “The COVID-19 vaccine is life-saving and available to all West Virginians ages five and older. Please make the decision to be vaccinated.”

Local

• West Virginia vaccination booster rate lowest in U.S.; fentanyl fatalities highest (WDVM-TV)
• Active cases nearly flat in Sunday’s COVID report from DHHR (MetroNews-Radio)
• West Virginia preparing for more omicron cases (The Weirton Daily Times)
• West Virginia University Health System and Owens & Minor announce strategic partnership to elevate health care delivery and pandemic preparedness throughout West Virginia (The State Journal)
• Brookside Fire Department Hoping for $800K in Grants (The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register)

NATIONAL NEWS

COVID

• Ohio governor mobilizes 1,050 National Guard troops to ease hospital staff shortages amid COVID-19 surge (Fox News)
• Stressed hospitals, weary nurses brace for another COVID-19 winter surge (USA Today)
• Hospitals are still reeling from delta as omicron cases start to multiply (NPR)
• Biden to deliver Tuesday speech on omicron variant as Covid cases rise (NBC News)

WEATHER

Kentucky Tornado Recovery

NBC News reports Gov. Andy Beshear announced all of those missing from the in the deadly tornado outbreak have been accounted for as the death toll reaches at least 76 in the state and at least 91 nationwide. Beshear also said that relief benefits provided by FEMA for funeral expenses have been increased to $10,000. 

ABC News reports over 1,000 Kentucky homes were destroyed with the communities of Mayfield and Dawson Springs among the hardest hit and some 944 people are being housed at state parks and hotels.

• Kentucky tornado recovery continues, with charities and government providing aid (PBS News)
• Kentucky police warn of scammers posing as FEMA, Red Cross after tornadoes  (Lexington Herald Leader)
• Crime on the rise in tornado-struck Mayfield, Kentucky (Fox Weather)
• FEMA Director Coleman on rebuilding lives after tornado disaster in KY Part 1 and  Part 2

OTHER WEATHER

• Months after Ida flooded New York City, some residents still have no real homes for the holidays (CNN)
• Who gets help after a hurricane or flood? FEMA will start tracking it by race (Salon)
• The US Isn’t Prepared For Climate Disasters Like Hurricane Ida (Clean Technica)