FEMA Response Concerns - Democratic lawmakers are raising concerns about the federal response to the Texas flooding, questioning the impact of administration cuts to FEMA and the National Weather Service [1] - The response in Texas is criticized, with claims that FEMA didn't show up with swift water rescue crews for 72 hours, a deviation from past practices [4] - There are reports of over 20% of FEMA's workforce being forced out, and key positions, like the Florida regional administrator, remaining empty [5] FEMA Reform and Current State - FEMA needed reform to be faster, but the current administration broke it, potentially intentionally, by appointing an interim administrator with zero emergency management experience [7][8] - The changes have made FEMA slower and less efficient, potentially costing lives and disproportionately hurting red states that rely on FEMA for disaster relief [9] - The reimbursement process has slowed down, impacting cities' and counties' ability to make decisions and clean up after disasters [9][10] Congressional Action and Hurricane Season Preparedness - Congress could have done more in the past eight months to address the issues at FEMA, but the damage has already been done [13] - Members of Congress from states like Louisiana should push the White House to get FEMA ready, expedite declarations, and preposition resources [14][15] - FEMA needs to revert to its established playbook for hurricane season, and members of Congress should speak up publicly about the need for preparedness [15][16]

is Democratic Congressman Jared Bosowitz of Florida. He was the former director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. So, Congressman, I just want to make sure I'm getting this right.You have Gnome arguing FEMA should financially support states that are undergoing disasters, but leave the actual emergency response to those states. In your opinion, is that the most effective model. Well, I think the best way I can sum it up is when Donald Trump was talking about uh Israel and Iran as he was boardi ...

 Simple Steps to Minimize Damage and Stay Safe During Hurricane SeasonLOS ANGELES, July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hurricane season brings with it a mix of unpredictability and urgency — and while you can't stop a storm, you can absolutely prepare for one. Mercury Insurance is sharing practical, proactive steps homeowners can take to protect their property and loved ones before a hurricane makes landfall.With decades of experience helping policyholders recover from major storms, Mercury understands that prepar ...

(soft music) - [Narrator] Of the 15 most damaging hurricanes in US history, only two were category five. - Hurricane categories are based on wind speeds and only wind speeds. - [Narrator] But what often creates the most damage is water.- Given all of the new codes, most homes can really survive category five winds. However, they can also float away fully intact. - [Narrator] Yet this one town, Babcock Ranch, has been hit by four hurricanes and basically came out unscathed.There was no flooding at all. - [Na ...

The Pentagon is cutting access to a key hurricane forecasting tool as the Atlantic season picks up https://t.co/WH3vsUVP5C ...

Tropical Storm Andrea becomes the first named system of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. It is not a threat to land. https://t.co/a0IYWMR70t ...

Tropical Storm Andrea becomes the first named system of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. It is not a threat to land. https://t.co/DXrdUXr4AG ...

[Applause] Who would have guessed that a conversation with a stranger on River Street, my first week in Savannah, would have ignited a flame in me that still burns and plagues me 10 years later. I had just moved to Savannah and felt that exploring River Street was a musto. As I was casually perusing hundreds of Savannah t-shirts and must-have collectibles, I stumbled across a sign that read, "Hurricane evacuation plan. One, grab beer. Two, run like hell." I was immediately intrigued. The employee must have ...

THE COUNTRY AND EVERYWHERE ELSE. >> IT'S JUST SO COOL. THREE HOST COUNTRIES I KNOW, IT'S KIND OF INCREDIBLE.WE'LL GET YOU THE DETAILS. >> GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US ON THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING. I'M JOE FRYER. >> AND I'M SAVANNAH SELLERS.>> THANKS FOR STARTING YOUR DAY WITH US. WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING AGAIN IN LOS ANGELES, WHERE PROTESTS CONTINUE IN RESPONSE TO IMMIGRATION RAIDS IN THE CITY. >> MAYOR KAREN BASS PUT IN PLACE A CURFEW LAST NIGHT FOR THE PART OF DOWNTOWN LA WHERE WE'VE SEEN THE ...

Pre-hurricane season simulation includes state and local officials, emergency management offices, third-party evaluators and industry-leading technology providers Series of emergency preparedness activities and key resiliency improvements designed to strengthen local response and reduce impact of outages from major stormsHOUSTON, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, as part of its ongoing efforts to prepare for the 2025 hurricane season, CenterPoint Energy is executing a major hurricane response exercise at ...