Articles by Rebecca Santana

New FEMA Rules Aim to Cut the Red Tape of Disaster Recovery

Anyone who has lived through a natural disaster and then applied to the federal government for assistance knows that it can be a lengthy, frustrating and bureaucratic process. New rules announced Friday by the federal agency in charge of emergency …

Report on Mass Shootings Urges Workplace Violence Prevention Plans

As the nation reels from a week of high-profile shootings, a new report on mass attacks calls for communities to intervene early when they see warning signs of violence, encourages businesses to consider workplace violence prevention plans and highlights the …

Fires Becoming Deadlier as Firefighter Recruitment Wanes

Fires feeding off modern materials found in people’s homes are burning faster and becoming deadlier at the same time that fire departments across the country are struggling to retain and recruit firefighters, officials said Thursday. Officials with various firefighting-related agencies …

Coast Guard Blames Pilot for Cargo Ship Grounding in Chesapeake Bay in March

A Coast Guard investigation into the grounding in March of a cargo ship in the Chesapeake Bay faulted the pilot tasked with helping the ship navigate the waterway, saying he relied too much on one piece of equipment to navigate …

Frustration and Desperation Mount as Ian’s Effects Linger

Days after the skies cleared and the winds died down in Florida, Hurricane Ian’s effects persisted Monday, as people faced another week without power and others were being rescued from homes inundated with lingering floodwaters. Ten additional deaths were blamed …

Louisiana’s Native Americans Still Recovering From Hurricane Ida

Driving through her village along the southeastern Louisiana bayou, tribal official Cherie Matherne points out remnants of house after house _ including her own _ wrecked nine months ago when Hurricane Ida roared through the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe community. Trailers …

Louisiana Recovering After Tornadoes Plow Through Homes

Louisiana National Guardsmen and other responders went door-to-door in areas around New Orleans on March 23 as the region dug out from overnight tornadoes, with Gov. John Bel Edwards declaring a state of emergency and calling the destruction “devastating.” Other …

Texas Gov. Issues Disaster Declaration, Louisiana Sends National Guard Following Storms

A tornado that menaced New Orleans flipped a schoolbus, ripped off rooftops and deposited a house with a family inside onto the middle of Prosperity Street. Two people were killed as the storm front blew across the South. Other tornadoes …

Tornado Strikes New Orleans as Storms Move Into Deep South

A tornado tore through parts of New Orleans and its suburbs Tuesday night, ripping down power lines and scattering debris in a part of the city that had been heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina 17 years ago. There were no …

UN Report Details Extent of Climate Change on Gulf Coast

Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 50 inches of rain on parts of the Texas coast in 2017. Then in 2020, ferocious winds from Hurricane Laura destroyed homes across coastal Louisiana. Hurricane Ida hit in 2021, leaving the entire city of …