Trump Wanted to Abolish FEMA. His Own Advisers Disagree.

A panel convened by President Trump is said to have rejected the president’s idea that the agency should “go away.”

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FEMA Cuts Disaster Aid, Leaving States Fending for Themselves

President Trump has said he wants to eventually shift the burden of disaster relief and recovery onto states. It’s already happening.

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Fragile N.C. Residents Lose Medicaid Support for Food and Housing

One year after Hurricane Helene, people in the hard-hit western region of North Carolina can no longer rely on a successful program that helped keep them afloat.

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Making Florida More Flood Resistant Is Forcing Hard Choices for Homeowners

A rule requiring many storm-damaged homes to be demolished or rebuilt to the latest flood-resistant standards has exacted personal and cultural costs.

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I Never Understood Our Data-Saturated Life Until a Hurricane Shut It Down

When Helene disconnected my part of North Carolina for weeks, my neighbors and I had to relearn old ways of knowing what was happening — and what wasn’t.

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As FEMA Shrinks, a Grassroots Disaster Response is Taking Shape

Aid groups, some of which helped after Hurricane Helene, are preparing to take on more responsibility when storms, floods and wildfires strike.

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What to Know if You’re Visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway This Summer

The 469-mile route known as “America’s favorite drive” has mostly reopened nine months after Hurricane Helene, but there are still detours and closures to watch out for.

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North Carolina Town Has Some of the Purest Quartz That Powers the World’s Tech

Residents have a saying in Spruce Pine, that a piece of their home is in tech across the globe. But could geopolitical tensions hurt their mining tradition, and their lucrative quartz business?

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Musk Targeted FEMA. Disaster-Stricken Communities Are Paying a Price.

A FEMA funding freeze illustrates the extraordinary power of Elon Musk and DOGE, who have made claims of undue benefits for undocumented immigrants and spurred swift action by federal officials.

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The Way Hurricanes Kill Is Changing. Helene Shows How.

A close analysis of Helene’s fatalities shows how major storms are taking lives in unexpected ways, and how the deadly effects can last long after the skies clear.

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