Latest FEMA Headlines

All the headlines from our FEMA Topic Page, ordered by recency.

FEMA Raises Federal Cost Share to 90% of Eligible Hurricane Ian Recovery in Florida

Oct 26 2023 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency has raised the federal cost share for funding assistance, potentially making millions more dollars available to Florida authorities for Hurricane Ian recovery efforts in Florida, the...

FEMA Sets Up Free Legal Help for Florida Idalia Victims

Oct 2 2023 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that free legal assistance is now available to help Hurricane Idalia victims in Florida with insurance claims, government benefits and other matters.For people in 16...

FEMA Disaster Aid Now Available in Maine for June Flooding

Sep 8 2023 // The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Maine to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm and...

FEMA Names Nearly 500 US Communities as ‘Resilience Zones’

Sep 7 2023 // Rikers Island in the Bronx, New York, made the list due to its extreme vulnerability to flooding. Lincoln, Wyoming, was selected because of its high avalanche risk. And the danger of both earthquakes and drought propelled...

FEMA Has Paid Out $5.6M so far to Hawaii Wildfire Survivors

Aug 24 2023 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has approved more than $5.6 million in assistance to nearly 2,000 households in Maui so far as the federal government tries to help survivors of the devastating wildfires.The...

Severe Weather Set to Boost US Disaster Funding Needs, FEMA Says

Aug 22 2023 // Growing extreme-weather risks mean President Joe Biden’s expected request for billions in extra disaster-relief funding might not be enough for the next fiscal year, FEMA head Deanne Criswell said.Biden’s...

FEMA Denies Georgia County’s Request for Help After March Tornado

Jun 26 2023 // Months after an EF-3 tornado tore through a Georgia county southwest of Atlanta officials said a federal agency has denied its request for additional help in the recovery.”Obviously we’re extremely disappointed...

FEMA Hit by Multi-State Lawsuit Over Flood Insurance Rating Formula

Jun 2 2023 // A federal lawsuit claims FEMA failed to take into account skyrocketing flood insurance costs generated by its new rating system, Risk Rating 2.0.Ten states, along with 43 Louisiana parishes and more than a dozen levee...

FEMA Releases New Flood Insurance Rates by ZIP Code. Brace for Impact.

May 22 2023 // When the Federal Emergency Management Agency unveiled its new Risk Rating 2.0 methodology for calculating flood insurance, advocates and critics alike warned that it would mean higher premiums for thousands of property...

New Mexico Officials Say FEMA Delays Create Mistrust Among Wildfire Victims

May 12 2023 // Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation are criticizing federal emergency managers for missing deadlines as residents seek recovery assistance following the largest wildfire in the state’s recorded...

FEMA Releases New Flood Insurance Rates by ZIP Code. Brace for Impact.

May 8 2023 // When the Federal Emergency Management Agency unveiled its new Risk Rating 2.0 methodology for calculating flood insurance, advocates and critics alike warned that it would mean higher premiums for thousands of property...

Louisiana Parish Sues FEMA Over Flood Rate Information

May 2 2023 // A Louisiana parish is suing FEMA for withholding flood insurance rating methodology, alleging the agency has denied residents from viewing data used to set rates under the National Flood Insurance Program’s Risk...

New Mexicans Affected by Last Year’s Wildfire Get FEMA Aid

Apr 27 2023 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office, charged with administering nearly $4 billion in emergency financial aid for survivors of last year’s record-breaking wildfire in New...

FEMA Index Offers Closer Look at Social Risks in Disaster Resilience

Mar 31 2023 // The free digital tool that the US government gives communities to help evaluate local risks from 18 natural hazards is getting a makeover.The Federal Emergency Management Agency introduced the National Risk Index last...

FEMA Urges California and Nevada Residents to Heed Flood Warnings

Mar 13 2023 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency is cautioning residents in parts of central California and western Nevada to pay attention to local officials as additional heavy rains and flooding are predicted.The National...

More Alabama Counties Eligible for FEMA Aid after Recent Storms

Jan 26 2023 // More Alabama counties are now eligible for federal help after last week’s storms and tornadoes.Emergency Management Agency Director Ernie Baggott said Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance in the designated...

FEMA COVID-19 Reimbursement Surpasses $4 Billion in Mid-Atlantic States

Dec 1 2022 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided more than $4 billion to the Mid-Atlantic region for costs related to protecting the public from COVID-19.The federal funding reimbursed communities for costs associated...

FEMA Projects $3.5-$5.3B NFIP Losses for Hurricane Ian

Nov 21 2022 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency has projected an initial estimate of Hurricane Ian losses for the National Flood Insurance Program, putting them in the range of $3.5 billion to $5.3 billion, including loss...

FEMA’s Home Buyout Program Weighted in Bureaucracy, Lacks Equity: Cornell

Nov 15 2022 // As climate change threatens residential areas, a longtime federal home buyout program – designed to eliminate risk to people and property – has become bureaucratically inaccessible and inequitable, according to...

FEMA Projects $3.5-$5.3B NFIP Losses for Hurricane Ian

Nov 14 2022 // n Friday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced an initial estimate of Hurricane Ian losses for the National Flood Insurance Program, putting them in the range of $3.5-$5.3 billion, including loss adjustment...