Articles by Christopher Flavelle

FEMA Chief Under Scrutiny Over Use of Government Vehicles

A demand for documents by a key House Republican adds to the growing pressure on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s chief as he coordinates the government response to Hurricane Florence. On Monday, House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy sent Brock …

Florence Floods Cause Sewage, Coal Ash Spills

A Duke Energy Corp. landfill near Wilmington, North Carolina, failed under the assault of Tropical Storm Florence, spilling about 2,000 cubic yards of coal ash that can carry toxic mercury, arsenic and lead. Authorities said they would investigate whether the …

U.S. Report Says Lack of Staff, Resources, Planning Hurt FEMA’s 2017 Disaster Response

The federal government’s chief watchdog slammed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to the hurricane that killed thousands of people in Puerto Rico last year, saying it was unprepared and failed to deploy enough qualified staff. The U.S. Government Accountability …

As Hurricane Lane Neared Hawaii FEMA Promises to Do Better

As a Category 4 hurricane roared toward Hawaii, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it’s learned the lessons of last year’s devastation of Puerto Rico and is vowing a better response. Calling 2017 “historic,” Jeff Byard, FEMA’s associate administrator for …

Supreme Court Nominee Kavanaugh Seen as Business Friend, Regulation Skeptic

Brett Kavanaugh could add a powerful new voice on the Supreme Court to restrain what government agencies can do, ushering in a new era of tougher scrutiny of federal regulations loathed by businesses. In a dozen years on the U.S. …

Hurricane-Proof Home Building Available But Pricey, Slow to Be Adopted

In a private waterfront resort on the northern tip of Key Largo, nestled between tropical forest and the Caribbean, Eric Soulavy is marketing luxury for the age of climate change: Coastal homes that are all but hurricane proof. The Florida-based …

FEMA Looking to Expand Disaster Reinsurance Program

The federal government, seeking to protect itself from the growing cost of natural disasters, is borrowing a technique from the private sector and buying reinsurance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which started purchasing reinsurance last year for the National Flood …

Cities Still Owed Funds from Last Hurricane Season as New Season Gets Underway

Allen Owen, the mayor of Missouri City, Texas, wants to do more to protect his town from the next disaster. But the city hasn’t gotten any of the roughly $1 million in federal disaster funds he said it’s owed after …

FEMA Reorganizing, Top Jobs Unfilled as Hurricane Season Gets Underway

With the hurricane season beginning, top jobs at the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency remain vacant and critics say that will make it harder for the government to respond to disasters. FEMA lacks a second-in-command and three of four associate-administrator …

FEMA Proposes Allowing Owners to Rebuild Homes After Taxpayer Buyouts

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is proposing to allow owners of homes destroyed by storms and bought out by the government to rebuild on the same flood-prone land. Currently, FEMA offers to buy homes that have been repeatedly damaged by …