fema | PBS NewsHour

Nation Sep 10

FEMA officials, contractor accused of hurricane relief fraud

By Associated Press

A girl from Central America rests on thermal blankets at a detention facility run by the U.S. Border Patrol on September 8, 2014 in McAllen, Texas. The Border Patrol opened the holding center to temporarily house the children after tens of thousands of families and unaccompanied minors from Central America crossed the border illegally into the United States during the spring and summer. Although the flow of underage immigrants has since slowed greatly, thousands of them are now housed in centers around the United States as immigration courts process their cases. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

U.S. moves FEMA, Coast Guard money to fund border programs

The news comes as hurricane season is ramping up and Tropical Storm Dorian is barreling toward South Florida.

By Colleen Long, Associated Press

Why these California wildfire victims wish their houses had burned down

In Santa Rosa, California, what's left of a mobile home park is still desolate after a 2017 wildfire. The former residents with homes still standing aren't allowed to live there, but they have also had trouble getting insurance money. Karla…

By Karla Carballo-Torres, Lorin Eleni Gill

Why the Florida Keys still need support, a year and a half after Hurricane Irma

In March, FEMA ended its temporary housing program for people affected by Hurricane Irma, which slammed the Florida Keys in September 2017. But as rebuilding continues after one of the costliest storms in U.S. history, shelter for survivors and volunteers…

By Alicia Menendez, Lorna Baldwin

Trump picks former Alabama official to lead FEMA

Jeffrey Byard held several positions with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency before he joined FEMA in 2017 during the agency's response to Hurricanes Harvey in Texas and Irma in Florida.

By Associated Press

Head of FEMA resigning, questioned over use of vehicles

By Colleen Long, Associated Press

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is resigning, months after an investigation found he misused government vehicles to travel to his home in North Carolina.

Many Hurricane Michael survivors spent Thanksgiving homeless

By Simon Ostrovsky

Still in tents and makeshift shelters six weeks after the most powerful hurricane in its history hit the Florida Panhandle, thousands remained homeless on Thanksgiving day. Traveling to Bay County for the holiday, NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Simon Ostrovsky reports.

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As disasters strike, advocates worry FEMA policy changes put disability community at risk

By Zoe Rohrich

In May, FEMA said it was reducing the number of disability advisors per disaster from 60 to 5.

DHS secretary: FEMA chief misused cars, but won’t lose job

By Colleen Long, Associated Press

The head of the federal disaster response agency used government vehicles without proper authorization, but will not lose his job over it, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Friday.

Hurricane Maria victims scramble for housing as FEMA vouchers expire

By Patty Gorena Morales

Nearly 1,000 families who evacuated Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria are scrambling against a deadline to find a place to sleep come Friday night, when the government’s housing assistance runs out.