From the Congressional Research Service, this report on Building Codes, Standards, and Regulations: Frequently Asked Questions. (55 pp)

(1) From CNN: FEMA announces $3 billion for climate resiliency as time runs low for Congress to replenish its disaster fund. “In a record-breaking year of disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is announcing nearly $3 billion Monday for communities to build resiliency against climate change-fueled extreme weather.

The new money, which will come from Congress’s bipartisan infrastructure law passed last year, is being announced just as the agency is running out of disaster-relief funds and a dangerous hurricane is bearing down on Florida. FEMA needs Congress to approve additional spending when it’s back in session to prevent the agency from falling into the red.”

(2) From Inside Climate News: As Hurricane Idalia Churns Toward Florida, Efforts to Refill Federal Disaster Aid Stall. “The spate of summer disasters has highlighted another potentially looming crisis in the U.S. The federal Disaster Relief Fund, which allocates billions of dollars to help communities recover after a major disaster, is set to run out of money this fall if Congress can’t come to an agreement on how to replenish it. Last month, officials warned that the fund could reach a $4.2 billion deficit just as both the hurricane and wildfire seasons reach their peak activity, potentially delaying and jeopardizing recovery efforts for Americans around the nation.”

(3) From Politico: FEMA forced to restrict disaster spending because of low funds.
From now on, the money will be used only for “critical response efforts” and not rebuilding. August 31.

From FEMA: Guidance on Extreme Temperatures for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Leaders. Extreme Temperatures Are Adversely Affecting People’s Lives

FROM HSToday: DHS Offers Community Leaders New Resources to Prepare for Extreme Temperature Events as 17 States Experience Record Breaking Heat.
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Here some details about the many hot spots in the U.S. presently: From CNN: The 77 places where extreme heat will break or tie records through Monday
August 28.

From the Wash Post: As fires and floods rage, Facebook and Twitter are missing in action Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have decided they don’t need the news industry. That’s causing problems when natural disasters strike.

From the Wash Post: As the Maui fires raged, senior victims had to fend for themselves.“State and local leaders and emergency officials must be better equipped and prepared to ensure that older adults are kept safe and their needs are met when a disaster strikes,” she said.

From the NY Times: Maui Officials Blame Utility for Allowing Deadly Fire to Start. In a new lawsuit, Maui County said Hawaiian Electric acted negligently by failing to disconnect power lines that were at risk of toppling in high winds.

From the NYTimes: Maui Knew Dangerous Wildfires Had Become Inevitable. It Still Wasn’t Ready. As President Biden arrives to survey the damage with state and local officials, shock and grief are giving way to anger and questions about the government’s preparation. August 22, 2023. VERY IMPORTANT ARTICLE! Continue reading →

From Homeland Security News Wire:Hurricanes Have Become Deadlier, Especially for Socially Vulnerable.
“In our study, excess death counts after tropical cyclones were higher more recently and for the most socially vulnerable,” said Robbie M. Parks, PhD, assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia Public Health, and first author. “This was likely in part due to lack of access to adequate short-term transportation, as well as inequitable access to financial resources, education, employment opportunities and timely warnings on tropical cyclone proximity, all of which are results of long-term institutional neglect.”

From CBSNews: FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell says emergency funds could be depleted within weeks.

This is of major concern because Congress is out until after Labor Day! And the hurricane season still has months to go.

From Forbes: How FEMA And California Have Prepared For Hurricane Hilary. August 21.

From CNN. Advice on Hurricane Preparations- what to do and what to pack

From Politico: President Joe Biden hasn’t launched a Maui fire investigation. Here’s why.  While the White House defers to Hawaii on a formal probe, Congress holds the key to forcing scrutiny from the feds.

“The Biden administration has promised billions of dollars to help Hawaii recover from its deadly wildfires this month — but not a federal investigation into what went wrong.

Even if the administration wanted an independent inquiry, there is no national disaster investigator to dig into unanswered questions about the response to the Lahaina blaze. Among those questions: Why the island’s siren system wasn’t used to cue evacuations, how water lines ran dry in fighting the fire and whether the White House was quick enough in deploying federal help.”