WV and National Disaster News - October 2, 2024

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West Virginia

Hurricane Helene

• Governor Jim Justice declares state of Emergency for Mercer County due to damage from Hurricane Helene (wv.gov Press Release)
• American Red Cross sends local volunteers to areas affected by Hurricane Helene (12 WBOY)
• Mercer County gets state of emergency declaration as it deals with storm aftermath (FOX 11)
• West Virginia, Virginia impacted by Hurricane Helene (WVVA)

Public Health

• WV health departments will have COVID-19 vaccines, including some for uninsured (West Virginia Watch)

Flood Resilience Funding

• Flooding Disasters Through Investing in America Agenda (WV Daily News) - FEMA announced nearly $1.9 million in new project selections to eliminate or reduce flood damage in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

National News

Hurricane Helene Disaster

• Relief efforts continue after Hurricane Helene kills more than 160 (CNN)
• Helene becomes the 2nd-deadliest U.S. hurricane since 2000 (AccuWeather)
• A complicated relief effort unfolds in North Carolina in the face of tough terrain, collapsed communications and a ticking clock (AccuWeather) 
  
• A dozen bipartisan senators from states ravaged by Helene ask for Congress' help for additional resources (USA Today)
• Lawmakers are eyeing emergency relief for farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene (RFDTV.com)
• Price gouging, fraud, ID theft: Feds say scammers set sights on Hurricane Helene victims (USA Today)
• Search crews with cadaver dogs wade through muck of communities 'wiped off the map' by Helene (Associated Press)
• Biden Fumes After Reporter Parrots Trump Lies on Hurricane Helene (The New Republic)
• President Biden to visit South Carolina, North Carolina today to see Helene destruction (WYFF News)
• Helene Survivors' Next Battle: A Ragged Federal Disaster Recovery System (Carnegie Endowment) - Congressional paralysis has strained a disaster system already reeling from more frequent and severe natural disasters and is cracking under the strain.

Weather

• ​Florida on long-range alert for upcoming Gulf tropical threat (AccuWeather)​ 

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