New research shows Russia has worked to amplify false and misleading claims about the U.S. government's response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton as part of the Kremlin's efforts to manipulate Americans before the Nov. 5 election.

A sheriff says witnesses reported seeing a group of armed people harassing hurricane relief workers in a remote Tennessee community last weekend.

Officials say federal disaster workers have resumed door-to-door visits as part of hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina.

Milton is set to become the second hurricane to strike Florida in two weeks, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is once again positioning supplies and personnel where they’re needed and coordinating with state and local officials.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been fighting misinformation since Helene slammed into Florida nearly two weeks ago.

Vice President Kamala Harris is calling former President Donald Trump “incredibly irresponsible” for spreading falsehoods about the federal response to Hurricane Helene’s destruction.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is again forcefully pushing back against false claims and conspiracy theories about how her agency is responding to Hurricane Helene.

The U.S. government’s top disaster relief official says false claims and conspiracy theories about the federal response to Hurricane Helene, which are being spread most prominently by Donald Trump, are “demoralizing” aid workers and creating fear in people who need recovery assistance.

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Milton is intensifying and will likely be a major hurricane before it slams into the storm-ravaged Florida coast, most likely on Wednesday.

False and misleading claims about Hurricane Helene are spreading about the storm and recovery efforts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is tasked with helping states and communities hit by disasters like Hurricane Helene.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says the agency tasked with helping communities recover from Hurricane Helene and other natural disasters does not have enough money to make it through the hurricane season.

Former President Donald Trump is criticizing the Biden administration’s response to widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, even as his supporters call for cuts to federal agencies that warn of weather disasters and deliver relief to hard-hit communities.

Two private power companies in Puerto Rico have come under scrutiny while presenting plans to stabilize the island's crumbling electric grid as officials demanded immediate action to minimize chronic power outages.

Hawaii's congressional representatives say the nation’s disaster relief fund needs to be replenished so the U.S. government can continue to help survivors of Maui’s deadly wildfires and other disasters around the country.

Dearborn Fire Department awarded more than $800,000 from FEMA.

Thousands of people live downstream from dams yet may not always realize the risks.

An Associated Press review has found that thousands of people may be paying more for flood insurance or remain unaware of the dangers of dam failures because of conflicting federal policies.

The head of the Homeland Security Department says the agency tasked with responding to disasters across the country is prepared as it goes into what is expected to be an intense hurricane and wildfire season.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has toured the Houston area to assess the damage from last week’s deadly storms.

Texas officials say power outages could last weeks in parts of Houston after thunderstorms with hurricane-force winds tore through the city and killed at least four people.

Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell says “our heart aches for the loss of life” in tornadoes that left four dead and about 100 injured in Oklahoma.

FEMA is opening centers across Michigan to help residents and business owners impacted by August 2023 flooding.

California cities and counties still don’t know how much they’ll have to pay for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pandemic program to house homeless people in hotel rooms.

The federal agency in charge of emergency management is changing its program that helps those who survive wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says he he wants 3,000 condos and homes normally rented to Maui tourists converted to long-term housing for displaced wildfire survivors who are still living in hotels.

Thousands of people displaced by the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century are facing uncertainty as they try to find housing in an expensive housing market that’s also in high demand as a vacation spot.

The federal government will test its emergency alert system on Wednesday afternoon, sending a test alert to cellphones and televisions across the country.

If your cellphone was on at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time you should have heard a loud noise and seen a message flash across your screen.

President Joe Biden ordered federal agencies to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for its February derailment in eastern Ohio and appoint a FEMA official to oversee East Palestine's recovery, but he stopped short of declaring a disaster.

Some Vermont residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed during severe flooding in July still face housing shortages.

The White House will seek another $4 billion to address natural disasters as part of its supplemental funding request, bringing the total to $16 billion.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday it has approved more than $5.6 million in assistance to nearly 2,000 households in Maui so far as the federal government tries to help survivors of the devastating wildfires.

Nonprofits and volunteers in Maui have cobbled together countless improvised and urgent solutions since the deadliest wildfire in over a century hit their community.

Poverty is adding to the challenges of recovering from a massive tornado that pushed through Mississippi.

As California begins to dry out from its recent deluges, one stark reality is coming into focus: Only 230,000 homes and other buildings are insured against flooding in a state with about 39 million residents.

Government officials say documents aimed at helping Alaska Natives apply for aid following typhoon damage last fall featured nonsensical phrases instead of useful instructions.

Christine Barrett and her family had to climb on top of their kitchen cabinets because of flooding that surged into their house during Hurricane Ian.

President Joe Biden says the entire United States "hurts" along with the people of Florida after Hurricane Ian flooded communities across the state, knocked out power and raised fear of a "substantial loss of life.”.

Nearly five years have passed since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory of 3.2 million people.

Officials in Jackson, Mississippi, say restoration of water pressure continues at a long-troubled water plant.

If you have to pay for a funeral and your loved one died of COVID, you might be able to get some financial help.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has developed a new strategy to better engage with hundreds of Native American tribes facing climate change-related disasters.

One million fewer people may purchase federal flood insurance by the end of the decade, according to a financial report obtained by the AP.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is releasing the largest update to its mobile application in a decade, the agency announced today.

Hot real estate markets have made some homeowners wary of participating in voluntary flood buyout programs.

FEMA has granted the Governor's request for a joint PDA with state and local officials to help expedite review of the damages and response costs. The PDA is the next step in the process of asking for federal assistance.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency may have been double-billed for the funerals of hundreds of people who died of COVID-19, the Government Accountability Office said in a new report Wednesday.

A federal appeals court has upheld President Joe Biden’s requirement that all federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The federal government has provided more than $2 billion to help cover funeral costs for more than 300,000 families of people who died from COVID-19.

President Joe Biden says “it’s time for Americans to get back to work” and he's announcing new efforts to allow people to return to normal activities safely after two years of pandemic disruptions.

Families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 can apply for reimbursement from the federal government for up to $9,000 to cover the cost of funeral expenses.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Jan. 7 on whether the Biden administration can order that workers at private companies and health care employees be vaccinated for COVID-19.

A revamped federal flood insurance program means higher rates for many homeowners — including in areas where coverage isn’t required because the government previously deemed them low or moderate risk.

The White House says President Joe Biden is extending the federal government’s 100% reimbursement of COVID-19 emergency response costs to states, tribes and territories through April 1, 2022.

U.S. officials are rolling out a new flood insurance program they say will more accurately calculate rates to reflect a home's risk.

On Saturday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted her request to expand the Major Disaster Declaration to include households in Macomb and Oakland counties following heavy rainfall and flooding across southeast Michigan in late June. FEMA’s agreement to expand the disaster declaration follows a letter Whitmer sent to FEMA appealing a previous denial of assistance to the areas.

Response to disasters such as Hurricane Ida falls primarily to state and local officials, but the federal government is playing an important support role.

Response to disasters such as Hurricane Ida falls primarily to state and local officials, but the federal government is playing an important support role.

Rescuers in boats, helicopters and high-water trucks have brought hundreds of people trapped by Hurricane Ida’s floodwaters to safety.

Federal officials say hundreds of emergency responders are in place in Louisiana and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has power restoration experts and generators at the ready as Hurricane Ida bashes the region.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are conducting a nationwide emergency alert system test this week.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are conducting a nationwide emergency alert system test this week.

FEMA and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan are teaming up to make sure victims of the floods last month and in June know there’s help and how to get it.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will give residents step-by-step directions on how to apply for flood relief.

For the people living in the city of Dearborn Heights, it feels like a wound is re-opened every time it rains.

On Friday, the organization announced that those with uninsured or underinsured home damage can register for assistance

On Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requested that President Joe Biden declare a major disaster for the state of Michigan as a result of the heavy rainfall and flooding that occurred in late June.

Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are set to assess flood damage in Wayne County on Thursday, nearly two weeks after heavy rain caused serious flooding issues across the region.

Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are set to assess flood damage in Wayne County on Thursday, nearly two weeks after heavy rain caused serious flooding issues across the region.

Here are this morning's top stories.

Michigan Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence took a tour Friday of the areas of Metro Detroit hit hardest by the floods.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a joint preliminary damage assessment (PDA) and review damages and response costs due to the heavy rainfall and flooding in Wayne County.

Whitmer said she’s been in touch with Federal Emergency Management Agency and members of Congress, but disaster relief may not come in time as rain is expected to return to Metro Detroit.

President Joe Biden says his administration needs to “bring every resource to bear” to deal with natural disasters as huge swaths of the country have endured a spurt of extreme weather just as the summer season is starting.

President Joe Biden says he's doubling U.S. emergency spending to help communities prepare for hurricanes and other extreme weather events.

Starting Monday, all Michigan residents are welcome to schedule an appointment to get vaccinated at the Michigan State University Pavilion clinic operated by the Ingham County Health Department in partnership with the college. The site is a drive-thru only clinic, and appointments are available as early as this week.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin offering financial support for COVID-19 related funeral expenses.

Officials said Friday, March 26, 2021, that the vaccine sites have provided nearly a half-million doses so far. The two sites in Oakland and Los Angeles opened in February for an eight-week pilot program that concludes on April 11. AdOfficials in the county and city of Los Angeles are in discussions about maintaining the site in some fashion, said Dr. Paul Simon, the chief science officer for Los Angeles County. “California’s commitment to equity is much more than just two vaccination sites," she said. It was updated on March 27, 2021 to correct that vaccination sites will close April 11, not April 15.

As part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020.

FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2019 file photo, immigrants seeking asylum walk at the ICE South Texas Family Residential Center, in Dilley, Texas. The number of children crossing by themselves, mostly from Central America, appears to be surging in particular in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. AdThe total of 561 unaccompanied minors from Monday offers a snapshot of how quickly conditions have changed along the border. “They’re all coming across the border, they’re coming fast, and they’re wearing Biden T-shirts,” said the Oklahoma Republican. The Biden administration last week ended a Trump policy that made relatives reluctant to contact HHS to retrieve children for fear of being deported themselves.

FILE - In this Monday, March 1, 2021 file photo, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington. The Biden administration is turning to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help managing and caring for record numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children who are streaming into the U.S. from Mexico. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says FEMA will support a government-wide effort over the next three months, Saturday, March 13, 2021. – The Biden administration is turning to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help managing and caring for record numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children who are streaming into the United States by illegally crossing the border with Mexico. During an record influx of unaccompanied minors in 2014, the Obama administration also turned to FEMA for help coordinating the governmentwide response.

“I’m pleased to announce the addition of a new FEMA-supported site in Detroit,” said White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients. “This site, located at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, has the ability to administer 6,000 shots per day.”UPDATE March 15: You can now register to get vaccinated against COVID at Ford FieldREAD: FEMA to convert Ford Field into regional mass vaccination siteIt was initially reported in February that officials from FEMA were touring Ford Field and were planning to turn the home of the Detroit Lions into a massive vaccination site. “Protect lives and move Michigan and Detroit forward.”The way forward, she said, is the the vaccination site at Ford Field. I am thrilled that the recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act will deliver resources -- that I secured -- directly to the federal vaccination program at Ford Field. Having this new mass vaccination site operated by FEMA will be a significant step forward for our city and our region toward that goal.

Here’s what is coming up on Local 4 News at 5:Ford Field to become one of 20 regional mass COVID vaccination centers across the countryThe Joe Biden Administration officially announced Friday morning it will be working with state officials to build a new major Community Vaccination Center (CVC) in Detroit. With the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ford Field will become the new home of a regional mass vaccination site.

DETROIT – The Joe Biden Administration officially announced Friday morning it will be working with state officials to build a new major Community Vaccination Center (CVC) in Detroit. With the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ford Field will become the new home of a regional mass vaccination site. UPDATE March 15: You can now register to get vaccinated against COVID at Ford FieldRELATED: Here is Michigan’s updated COVID-19 vaccination schedule: Who is eligible and whenAccording to the White House Coronavirus Task Force, the CVC at Ford Field will be administering 6,000 shots daily. AdIt was initially reported in February that officials from FEMA were touring Ford Field and were planning to turn the home of the Detroit Lions into a massive vaccination site. AdFord Field’s use as a CVC will be a large part of Metro Detroit’s vaccination process.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan announced Friday that all residents age 16 and up will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 5, nearly a month before the May 1 date pledged by President Joe Biden. Two days later, March 24, a federally selected regional mass vaccination site will open at Detroit's Ford Field to administer an additional 6,000 doses a day for two months. “The safe COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective way to protect you, your family and others from the virus," Gov. “It will help the country get back to normal and help the economy.”AdMichigan was the third state to announce broad eligibility this week. It may take “several weeks” beyond April 5 for everyone who wants the vaccine to get an appointment, according to the state health department.

DETROIT – Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. FEMA to convert Ford Field into regional mass vaccination siteWith the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ford Field will become the new home of a regional mass vaccination site.

DETROIT – Sources have confirmed that Ford Field will be used as a regional mass vaccination site starting next month. Sources in Wayne County said that FEMA has not yet defined what “regional” means. Detroit police were quietly providing security outside of Ford Field on Monday while inside a team from FEMA got a close look. FEMA wants Ford Field up and running for vaccinations by mid-March. AdWayne County Commissioner Ray Basham said FEMA is aware of how Michigan county health departments, city health departments and health systems are competing for doses.

The state of Michigan will receive federal help distributing coronavirus vaccines. Sen. Gary Peters knows vaccine distribution in Michigan has been a challenge. Peters is the chair of the Homeland Security committee over FEMA and now FEMA strike teams are coming in to assist the state. AdAny area having trouble getting vaccine doses into residents will now get help from FEMA. Peters said he has met with President Joe Biden and is pushing for the state to receive more doses.

Members of the National Guard help motorists check in at a federally-run COVID-19 vaccination site set up on the campus of California State University of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. FEMA opened its first COVID-19 inoculation sites in Los Angeles and Oakland, part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to get shots into arms more quickly and reach minority communities hit hard by the outbreak. In snowy Chicago, Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said more than a hundred city vaccine sites didn’t get shipments Tuesday because of the extreme weather, leading to many cancellations. The Los Angeles site is “proximate to a community that has been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic,” Gov. “The effort here is to address that issue forthrightly.”The Biden administration plans to establish 100 federally assisted vaccination sites nationwide in cooperation with state authorities.

DETROIT – Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. Mayor Mike Duggan joins Biden Administration to talk about COVID stimulus planThe Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan will be discussed at the bi-partisan meeting Friday of governors and mayors, the White House said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has told Detroit it will be reimbursed about $18 million to cover the city’s coronavirus-related costs including money spent on administering vaccines.

DETROIT – The state of Michigan is receiving $8.3 million in federal funding for COVID-19 vaccination distribution efforts. AdWhitmer says 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administeredLast week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer revealed that more than 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the state. By the end of Wednesday, the state had administered exactly 1,076,545 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the governor. Earlier in the week, Whitmer said she was working with the federal government to “help us get the supply we need to reach our goal and return to the normalcy we all crave.”AdRead more here.

Plastic surgeon Daniel Suver receives the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine from Andrea Castelblanco during a vaccine clinic on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage is averaging about 60 new COVID-19 cases a day, said Dr. Janet Johnston, the epidemiologist for the Anchorage Health Department. More than 90 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be produced in Japan. Ad___SACRAMENTO -- California reported its second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths — while the rates of new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations continue to drop. ___ALBANY, N.Y. — New York may have undercounted COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents by thousands.

State health officials Monday reported fewer than 13,000 people were being treated for the virus in Texas hospitals, marking the seventh consecutive day of declining patient loads. Some hospitals and clinics have reported having to cancel immunization appointments because they didn’t have enough vaccine doses to distribute. A little more than half of Ochsner employees have yet to get the vaccine, officials said at a news conference Monday. Tessa Walker Linderman, co-lead of Alaska’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, told reporters the state expects to learn soon what its vaccine allocation will be for February. Health officials are also worried about variants that were first reported in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington. “We need to ask average Americans to do their part," said Jeff Zients, the White House official directing the national response. Biden officials say they're hampered by lack of cooperation from the Trump administration during the transition. As part of his COVID-19 strategy, Biden will order the establishment of a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force to ensure that minority and underserved communities are not left out of the government's response. Below is Biden’s “National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness” plan, announced on Jan. 21.

President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington. “We didn’t get into this mess overnight, and it will take months to turn this around,” Biden said at the White House. Asked about that at the White House on Thursday, Biden told a reporter: “When I announced it, you all said it’s not possible. But administration officials stressed that reopening schools safely depends on increased testing. “We do not have nearly enough testing capacity in this country,” said White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients.

New York officials are pushing for more COVID-19 vaccine doses as the effort to speed up inoculations collides with a lack of vaccine. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday that the city will run out of first doses of COVID-19 vaccine sometime Thursday without fresh supplies. The U.S. mask order for travel being implemented by Biden will apply to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transportation. As part of his COVID-19 strategy, Biden will order the establishment of a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force to ensure that minority and underserved communities are not left out of the government's response. Biden is ordering FEMA to reimburse states for the full cost of using their National Guards to set up vaccination centers.

FILE - In this Monday, June 20, 2016 file photo, smoke from wildfires burning in Angeles National Forest fills the sky behind the Los Angeles skyline. And of the more than 3,000 counties, Los Angeles County has the highest ranking in theNational Risk Index. Chiu)Spending her life in Los Angeles, Morgan Andersen knows natural disasters all too well. And of the more than 3,000 counties, Los Angeles County has the highest ranking in the National Risk Index. The way FEMA calculates the index spotlights places long known as danger spots, like Los Angeles, but some other places highlighted run counter to what most people would think.

The survey by the RAND Corp. found that such civil rights violations were “common” at FEMA, reported by about 29% of the employees surveyed last year. It found that 20% of FEMA employees reported harassment and discrimination on the basis of sex. A little more than 18% reported violations based on their race or ethnicity. That earlier survey found 24% of women in the military experienced sexual harassment, slightly higher than what was found for women at FEMA. Coreen Farris, the lead author of RAND’s report on FEMA, said the results will provide a baseline for a follow-up survey planned for this spring.

“Just got off the phone with President Trump who has approved our Major Disaster Declaration request. White House spokesman Judd Deere previously said California’s disaster declaration request “was not supported by the relevant data” needed for approval. Newsom asked for the major disaster declaration on Sept. 28 to cover fires in Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Diego and Siskiyou counties. The White House said Trump quickly approved wildfire relief that was supported by damage estimates. PG&E equipment is being examined in connection with the Zogg Fire in Northern California, and Southern California Edison equipment is under scrutiny in the Bobcat Fire near Los Angeles.