Latest FEMA Headlines
All the headlines from our FEMA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
New York AG Charges Engineering Firm with Doctoring Sandy Claims Reports
Aug 2 2016 // New York authorities charged a Long Island engineering firm and one of its former executives with forging damage reports for homes swamped by Hurricane Sandy, altering the documents in such a way that owners’ flood...
FEMA Approves UMass Disaster Mitigation Plan
Jul 27 2016 // The University of Massachusetts has won state and federal approval of plans to protect the system’s campuses from natural hazards. School officials say it’s necessary to prepare for threats such as storms or...
The Politics of Safety, Affordability and Building Codes: Viewpoint
Jul 10 2016 // In April, some 1,200 home builders, inspectors, architects and engineers gathered in Louisville, Kentucky, to debate the standards that should guide construction of the next wave of U.S. houses. Engineers had a seemingly...
West Virginia Flood Damages At Least 5K Homes; $10M in FEMA Aid Available
Jul 5 2016 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $10 million in individual assistance to West Virginia homeowners and renters following last month’s devastating flooding. FEMA says more than 2,000...
Arkansas Emergency Official Likes FEMA’s Disaster Deductible Proposal
Jun 8 2016 // Arkansas’ emergency management director said he favors a proposal from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that gives states disaster “deductibles” as an incentive for the state to be better prepared...
Louisiana Residents Face June 13 Deadline for FEMA Assistance
Jun 6 2016 // Louisiana disaster survivors in 36 parishes have until June 13 to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for recovery assistance. The Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency...
PBS/NPR Documentary Adds to Criticism of Private Insurers, FEMA Over Profits on Flood Insurance
May 25 2016 // Private insurance companies working for the government’s flood insurance program have made hundreds of millions of dollars at the same time that thousands of homeowners are claiming they have been underpaid for...
FEMA Vows Changes to Flood Insurance Claims Appeals
May 25 2016 // After learning some hard lessons from Superstorm Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it is reforming the way it handles appeals from disgruntled policyholders in the National Flood Insurance Program. The...
Why FEMA Disaster Aid Deductible Makes Sense, Except to Local Officials and Builders
May 13 2016 // The proposal boiled down to just three paragraphs in the Federal Register: Would it be a good idea, the Federal Emergency Management Agency wondered, if Washington gave states a financial incentive to pass building codes,...
Louisiana Commissioner: FEMA Extended Proof of Loss Form Filing Deadline
May 10 2016 // Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon is reminding the state’s residents and businesses that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted a 60-day extension for filing proof of loss forms by National...
FEMA Extends Deadline for Mississippi Flood Victims to File Proof of Loss Form
May 6 2016 // Mississippi victims of March flooding now have more time to file their required Proof of Loss form, according to a statement from the Mississippi Insurance Department. Mississippi’s Commissioner of Insurance Mike...
FEMA: $30M in Disaster Assistance Going to Texas Following March Storms
Apr 27 2016 // More than $29.9 million in federal and state aid to date is helping the residents of 13 Texas counties recover from the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding in March, the Federal Emergency Management Agency...
FEMA Grants Proof of Loss Extension to Louisiana NFIP Policyholders
Apr 26 2016 // Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted a 60-day extension on filing the Proof of Loss form for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)...
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Seeks Extension of Flood Claim Deadline
Apr 19 2016 // Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon is asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to extend its deadline for Louisiana homeowners impacted by flooding, the insurance department announced. A federal disaster...
Proposed Restrictions Building in Oregon’s Flood Plains
Apr 18 2016 // Building in flood zones is about to get harder across much of Oregon, due to new federal recommendations. The government published the recommendations, called a biological opinion, in response to a lawsuit from...
More Than 4 Years Later, Vermont Still Repairing Damage From Irene
Apr 13 2016 // Vermont officials say they will continue to pursue projects as towns recover from flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene. Vermont Public Radio reports that about 30 unfinished infrastructure projects around the state...
FEMA Denies Request for Levee Repairs in Grand Isle, Louisiana
Apr 3 2016 // Grand Isle, La., officials have been met with another setback as they try to determine how to rebuild their first-line storm defense. The town’s levees were torn up again by heavy storms three weeks ago. WVUE reports...
FEMA Denies Individual Assistance to Florida Tornado Victims
Apr 1 2016 // Some residents of the Florida Panhandle who sustained damage during two tornadoes that touched down in February will not receive individual assistance through FEMA. The News Journal reports that the Federal Emergency...
FEMA to Louisiana Flood Victims: Don’t Wait to Begin Repairs
Mar 28 2016 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency is urging Louisiana residents whose homes were damaged during recent floods not to wait for a FEMA inspector before beginning to clean up and conduct repairs. FEMA spokeswoman Deanna...
Record Number of Flood Policies Bought by Californians, FEMA Says
Mar 7 2016 // Federal emergency officials in late February reported a surge in the number of California residents who have purchased flood insurance, most likely in response to a rainy El Niño winter. Officials with the Federal...
