FEMA

What the firings at FEMA could mean for the next hurricane or wildfire

4:11am February 21, 2025

by Steve Inskeep

The Trump administration has fired several hundred employees at FEMA. When it comes to helping disaster victims on the ground, the agency was already hundreds of people short.

Queue Listen Now

Exclusive: Trump administration drops work on stronger building codes for disasters

5:05pm February 20, 2025

To help homes survive more intense disasters, FEMA has been developing recommendations for stronger building codes. The Trump Administration has pulled them back.

Politics & Government

Some in Hurricane Helene-ravaged North Carolina embrace Trump's push to abolish FEMA

12:26pm February 17, 2025

by Makiya Seminera, Associated Press

Frustration with stopgap relief efforts has been exacerbated by confusion over where long-term help should come from. FEMA is meant to be a first line, providing temporary housing and funding for repairs while insurance foots most of the bill. It is not the message residents heard initially, when politicians, including then-President Joe Biden, who toured the damaged area, promised residents they would have whatever they needed.

President Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump and Franklin Graham, left, meet with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene

Politics & Government

Trump proposes 'getting rid of FEMA' while visiting North Carolina

1:48pm January 24, 2025

by Will Weissert, Chris Megerian and Makiya Seminera, Associated Press

President Donald Trump said he was considering “getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a trip to disaster zones Friday, offering the latest sign of how he is weighing sweeping changes to the nation's central organization for responding to disasters.

A photo of Legal Aid of North Carolina staff at a clinic

Legal Aid of North Carolina to host free clinics for disaster relief for those impacted by Helene

4:01pm January 16, 2025

by DJ Simmons

Attorneys will be available to help those seeking assistance with landlords, banks and government agencies among other things.

National

FEMA's administrator says more than 24,000 in LA have applied for assistance

8:47am January 12, 2025

by Ayesha Rascoe

"People have lost everything," says FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell. More than 24,000 have already applied for assistance from FEMA, but Criswell says that number is certain to rise.

Queue Listen Now

A hillside road collapsed into a 15-foot-deep ravine formed below it caused by Hurricane Helene in Boone, N.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. SANTIAGO OCHOA/WFDD

FEMA extends Helene assistance application deadline to February 6

1:29pm January 03, 2025

by Santiago Ochoa

The deadline for local governments, nonprofits and individuals affected by Helene to apply for federal aid has been extended to February 6.

Attorneys from the North Carolina Bar Foundation and Pisgah Legal Services help residents affected by Hurricane Helene navigate insurance claims and applications for aid in Newland, N.C., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

NC attorney weighs in on Helene FEMA aid application process

7:00am December 27, 2024

by Santiago Ochoa

A disaster aid attorney urges North Carolinians affected by Helene to stick with the FEMA individual aid application and appeals process.

Undocumented people are among most vulnerable to climate-fueled disasters

5:00am December 23, 2024

Many undocumented people are not eligible for federal financial disaster aid and several remain fearful even when help is offered.

Queue Listen Now

Housing

Boone Council to address lack of exemptions for emergency relief housing

3:40pm December 03, 2024

by Paul Garber

Boone’s ordinance that guides land use and buildings did not have an exemption for temporary structures for relief efforts. So town officials last week came together to propose changes to those guidelines.