Response

Gov. Bob Ferguson said he would request an expedited emergency declaration from the federal government, seeking to unlock federal resources and financial support, as flooding continues in Western Washington this week.

A partnership between Duke University and Forsyth County will send drones equipped with automated external defibrillators during live 911 calls about people having cardiac arrest, when minutes can save lives.

There has been talk of relocating FEMA HQ to Texas if the state's emergency management chief is named the new head of the federal agency. But given the turmoil around FEMA this year, it may not be the right move.

David Richardson resigned Monday saying he'd agreed to serve as acting administrator through the 2025 hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30. He was widely criticized for the agency's response to the Texas flooding in July.

By modernizing its 911 system and embracing automation, El Paso is delivering faster, more efficient emergency services with tools like a bot to take non-emergency calls and real-time language translation.

When Typhoon Halong devastated Western Alaska last month, the hardest-hit communities were accessible only by air or water. That complicated response efforts and makes rebuilding a challenge.

While the full extent of damage from Typhoon Halong is not yet clear, officials say the federal government shutdown should not affect response and recovery efforts, and the Alaska National Guard has been activated.

CISA has issued a cybersecurity emergency directive that instructs federal agencies to identify and mitigate Cisco firewall vulnerabilities, most likely to be targeted by the ArcaneDoor threat actor.

A year after Hurricane Helene, Gov. Josh Stein said the state is still waiting on $100 million in federal funds. FEMA said the agency’s response has been on par with or exceeded other storms in the region.

The 1,700-acre Crosho Fire that began Monday is one of many severe fires burning in the state. Four other fires already have disaster declarations in place, including the Lee Fire, the state's fifth largest on record.

The law would add to an existing fund for wildfire victims, which officials have warned could be exhausted by the Eaton wildfire. Funds would come from customers and shareholders of the state’s three biggest for-profit utilities.

Officials with the state Department of Emergency Services are still assessing the total damages, but have said that state resources have so far been largely unnecessary thanks to the strong response from local communities.

In response to a quickly growing wildfire in Ocean County, Acting Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning, authorizing officials to implement emergency plans and coordinate recovery efforts.

The bill divides the funds between six conservancies throughout the state. Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom also approved $2.5 million to help the Los Angeles area recover from the January wildfires.

Federal aid meant to help protect Florida communities from natural disasters has been frozen since January. A large portion of funds would have come from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program.

Fires burning in Polk County, N.C., have grown larger than 6,000 acres. Experts say that's due in part to the abundance of fuel in forests created by destruction from Hurricane Helene last September.

The Pauline Road Fire burning north of Houston is causing hazardous air for residents in its immediate vicinity, but the winds may change and the mixture of gases and particle pollution can travel far.

After an investigation found that 911 callers in the Atlanta area were often left waiting for an operator to answer, most call centers have made great progress toward industry standards, which matches national trends.