Latest FEMA Headlines

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

FEMA Renews $1.3 Billion Reinsurance for Flood Program with 27 Carriers

Jan 6 2020 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FEMA reported its 2020 traditional reinsurance placement for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in a transaction in which 27 private reinsurers assumed $1.33 billion...

Aid Request for 6 South Dakota Counties Rejected by FEMA

Dec 2 2019 // South Dakota has lost an appeal for federal funding to rebuild from tornadoes and floods that hit six counties in August. The Federal Emergency Management Agency ruled that the damage was not severe enough to qualify for...

FEMA Envisions High-Tech Flood Insurance Program Using Parametrics, Blockchain

Nov 26 2019 // Blockchain technology and parametric insurance should be included in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s toolbox as it strives to close the nation’s flood insurance coverage gap, according to a draft...

Feds Say Florida Officials Bilked FEMA Out of Hurricane Money

Nov 22 2019 // Two former officials of a Florida city are charged with conspiring with two businesses to bilk the federal government out of $5 million in Hurricane Michael cleanup money, the U.S. attorney’s office announced...

FEMA Upholds Decision to Deny Individual Assistance After Illinois Flooding

Nov 18 2019 // A federal agency upheld its decision to deny financial assistance to Illinois residents and business owners affected by historic flooding despite granting the state public aid. The Federal Emergency Management...

FEMA Postpones Switch to New Risk-Based Flood Insurance Rating Until 2021

Nov 8 2019 // The federal government is delaying implementation of a major change to its pricing formula for federal flood insurance that bases rates on a more accurate assessment of the real flood threat for each home and reflects the...

FEMA Teams Assessing Storm Damage in Vermont

Nov 6 2019 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency is in Vermont assessing flood and wind damage from a recent storm. Vermont Emergency Management Director Erica Bornemann requested the preliminary damage assessment to determine if...

IBHS Chief Continues to Ask Congress to Embrace Tax Credits for Climate Resilience

Oct 24 2019 // The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety has its eye on more than just helping improve safety on the roads and in homes. The climate and severe weather have also been on the IBHS radar lately. Roy E. Wright,...

Florida CFO Patronis Appointed to FEMA National Advisory Council

Oct 17 2019 // Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis has been appointed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Advisory Council (NAC) by Acting Administrator Pete Gaynor. Jimmy Patronis The NAC...

North Carolina to Create Program to Help Dorian Victims After FEMA Rejection

Oct 16 2019 // Gov. Roy Cooper aims to create a state-funded program to help residents in four North Carolina counties recover from Hurricane Dorian after the federal government declined a request for assistance targeting them. The...

Hurricane Michael: One Year Later, Federal Aid for Recovery Totals Nearly $2B

Oct 10 2019 // Since Hurricane Michael made landfall Oct. 10, 2018, federal assistance for recovery in the 18 affected counties is nearly $1.9 billion, including FEMA grants, National Flood Insurance Program payments and U.S. Small...

Government Has Bought 43,000 Flood-Prone Homes; Poor Often Left Behind

Oct 10 2019 // As the climate crisis worsens, more Americans will be forced from their homes. Many won’t be able to afford it, and the U.S. isn’t prepared for a massive, government-subsidized migration away from flood-prone...

Imelda-Impacted Texans Still Don’t Know if They Qualify for FEMA Aid

Oct 1 2019 // Two state officials are optimistic that southeast Texans whose homes were flooded by Tropical Storm Imelda will qualify for federal aid. And since it could be weeks before the destruction is fully inventoried, many leaders...

Minneapolis Federal Reserve: With Flooding Comes a Torrent of Data

Sep 24 2019 // One of the biggest problems with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood insurance program is that, nationwide, few property owners actually choose to buy into it. But that’s not the case in many...

Group Says FEMA’s Flood Home Buyouts Take Too Long

Sep 19 2019 // For those who want to move out of a flood zone, the wait time for a home buyout can stretch five years or more, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which analyzed nearly 30 years of data from the...

FEMA Officials Arrested on Fraud Charges Linked to Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria Aid

Sep 11 2019 // Federal Emergency Management Agency officials who oversaw the reconstruction of Puerto Rico’s electrical grid and the former president of Cobra Acquisitions were arrested on fraud and conspiracy charges linked to...

Fake Claims, Price Gouging, Bogus Contractors in Times of Disaster

Sep 2 2019 // As the scale and frequency of major disasters escalate, millions of dollars in federal, state and insurance payments intended for recovery efforts are being stolen by fraudsters taking advantage of chaos and the pipeline...

Fake Claims, Price Gouging, Bogus Contractors: How Fraudsters Steal Disaster Aid

Aug 23 2019 // As the scale and frequency of major disasters escalate, millions of dollars in federal, state and insurance payments intended for recovery efforts are being stolen by fraudsters taking advantage of chaos and the pipeline...

FEMA Awards $2.7M to Orange County, Texas, for Flood Damage Project

Aug 15 2019 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded more than $2.7 million to Orange County through the Texas Division of Emergency Management to fund a project to acquire and demolish 20 structures impacted by...

FEMA Awards $1.1M Mitigation Grant to Flood Zoned Homes on Georgia Coast

Aug 13 2019 // Twelve homes on the coast of Georgia will receive a federal grant of about $1.1 million to help alleviate the cost of elevating their homes. News outlets report Tybee Island Mayor Jason Buelterman and Rep. Buddy Carter...