In a scandal first uncovered by The Daily Wire, a new Department of Homeland Security <a class="decorated-link" href="https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2026-08/OIG-26-21-Aug26.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="90" data-end="196">inspector general report</a> found that a FEMA disaster response crew illegally skipped Florida homes displaying signs supporting President Donald Trump, as workers surveyed damage from Hurricane Milton without proper training.
In November 2024, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs">The Daily Wire first exposed</a> the FEMA scandal after multiple federal employees confirmed that a supervisor ordered disaster relief workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump” as they canvassed Lake Placid, Florida, to identify residents eligible for federal aid. Internal messages obtained by The Daily Wire showed that supervisor Marn’i Washington issued the directive both verbally and in a group chat used by the relief team, according to multiple government employees.
“This situation eroded public trust in FEMA’s ability to treat everyone impartially, offer unbiased and consistent assistance, and ensure equal access to resources and tools,” the inspector general’s report <a href="https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2026-08/OIG-26-21-Aug26.pdf">said</a>. 
The 25-page investigation concluded that the discrimination violated both FEMA policy and the Hatch Act. The <a href="https://www.osc.gov/services/hatch-act/overview/">1939 federal law</a> prohibits government employees from using their positions or government resources for partisan political activity.
FEMA disaster relief crews canvassed more than 744,000 homes and other locations after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. But a DHS watchdog found that workers deliberately skipped 11 homes displaying signs supporting then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Images obtained by The Daily Wire showed workers documenting the homes in the government system with messages such as “Trump sign no entry per leadership.”
<div id="attachment_1165733" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1165733" class="wp-image-1165733 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1.avif 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Microsoft Teams chat used by FEMA workers.</div>
“These issues occurred due to weaknesses in FEMA’s training, documentation, and oversight,” the inspector general&#8217;s report concluded. “FEMA DSA [Disaster Survivor Assistance] crews did not receive ethics and Hatch Act training before deploying to disasters, DSA policies and procedures did not require crews to explain why they skipped homes, and DSA crew leaders were not required to conduct quality control reviews of survivor interactions.” 
Investigators also interviewed 18 random FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance crew members deployed during the natural disasters and found 11 who said they never received Hatch Act training.
Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm on September 26, 2024, unleashing catastrophic flooding and devastation that killed hundreds and caused billions of dollars in damage from the Gulf Coast to the mountains of North Carolina. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Milton struck near Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 storm, battering communities still reeling from Helene. 
President Biden quickly approved major disaster declarations for Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee, unlocking federal aid to help survivors clean up and begin rebuilding.
As FEMA scrambled to respond to the back-to-back disasters, the agency called on a DHS Surge Capacity Force, drawing volunteers from other DHS agencies to bolster its understaffed workforce ahead of Hurricane Milton.
“I know they’re short-staffed, I thought we could go help and make a difference,” one of the employees told The Daily Wire at the time. “When we got there we were told to discriminate against people. It’s almost unbelievable to think that somebody in the federal government would think that’s okay.” 
The employee said it felt wrong to discriminate against Trump supporters when they were at their “most vulnerable.” 
“I volunteered to help disaster victims, not discriminate against them,” the employee said. “It didn’t matter if people were black, white, Hispanic, for Trump, for Harris. Everyone deserves the same amount of help.”
The guidance came as the Biden administration faced mounting criticism over what many rural communities described as a lackluster response to Hurricane Helene. In Roan Mountain, Tennessee, for example, residents <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-a-small-tennessee-town-survived-helene-after-the-emergency-response-floundered">told</a> The Daily Wire that it took nearly two weeks for FEMA to arrive. Carter County, where the town is located, <a href="https://www.politico.com/2024-election/results/tennessee/">voted 81%</a> for Trump.
The FEMA workers ordered to bypass homes displaying Trump signs were operating in Highlands County, a deep-red region of south-central Florida that backed Trump with 70% of the vote. The county was battered by tornadoes, torrential winds and rain, and flooding when Hurricane Milton struck in October.
The inspector general’s report laid out the limited exceptions in which FEMA workers could skip homes, including &#8220;hostile&#8221; interactions with residents, no-trespassing or private-property signs, hazardous debris, or purple paint marking a property as off-limits.
Political signs supporting Trump were not among the exceptions.
The inspector general reviewed thousands of FEMA canvassing records and identified 11 cases with notes indicating potential political bias. The workers logged the skipped homes under generic categories such as “Not Able to Access Property” and “Private Property.” 
“However, in the notes field all 11 surveys included the name of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump to explain the reason for skipping the homes,” the investigation found. 
<div id="attachment_1165737" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1165737" class="wp-image-1165737 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1-1024x512.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="512" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1-768x384.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1.avif 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />One of the homes skipped by FEMA/ FEMA app tracking what homes were visited.</div>
The report could not determine whether FEMA workers used similar discriminatory tactics elsewhere in the country as communities reeled from hurricane devastation.
“We could not determine if crews skipped locations for unallowable reasons during other disasters because the support contract for FEMA’s Field Assessment and Collection Tools ended in September 2025 when then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem did not act on FEMA’s request to fund it before expiration,” investigators said.  
Looking forward, the inspector general issued four recommendations: strengthen ethics and Hatch Act training before deployments, create a system to document survivor interactions, and require FEMA crews to standardize how they record skipped homes and the reasons for doing so. 
After The Daily Wire broke the story, a FEMA spokesman said the agency was “deeply disturbed” and “horrified” by the employee’s actions, and that it has “taken extreme actions to correct this situation.”

MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-07-PM-8035-e1735225768669

Daily Wire Bombshell Leads To Report Finding FEMA Illegally Skipped Trump Supporters’ Homes

Biden Administration

FEMA

Florida

Hurricane

hurricane damage

Hurricane Milton

Inspector general

Investigation

natural disasters

News

North Carolina

Politics

Trump Administration

One person is dead, homes have been swept off their foundations and more than 130,000 customers are without power as Tropical Storm Lala grinds westward across the Hawaiian Islands, a day after it brushed the Big Island as a Category 1 hurricane.
Gov. Josh Green (D-HI) said Saturday evening that one person was killed in a storm-related car crash on the Big Island&#8217;s southern end, and that 19 roofs had been lost and at least three hospitals were running on generator power. Hours later, flash flooding tore through the coastal communities of Naalehu and Waiohinu.
&#8220;Several occupied homes may have been swept off their foundations, and based on that, civil defense has initiated a search and rescue mission,&#8221; Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said overnight. Responders went looking for people who had called 911 but could not be reached through the floodwaters.
&#8220;What makes this very challenging is that there&#8217;s rushing water, there&#8217;s debris, and there&#8217;s boulders on the road and it&#8217;s dark,&#8221; Alameda said.
Lala, since downgraded to tropical storm status, battered several of the islands with strong winds and heavy rains without officially making landfall on any of them. Roughly 65% of electric customers on the Big Island were without power Sunday morning, and more than 130,000 households were dark across Hawaii&#8217;s three largest islands, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/08/16/g-s1-138926/lala-tropical-storm-hawaii-hurricane">according</a> to NPR. A flood watch remains in effect for Oahu, Kauai and Niihau through late Sunday night.
Honolulu Police <a href="https://x.com/honolulupolice/status/2088939560977965347">released a statement</a>, warning residents not to travel unless absolutely necessary and noting that dispatchers had already fielded more than 100 storm-related calls.
&#8220;Officers are directing traffic and closing unsafe roadways. Crews have responded to numerous downed trees and debris, including multiple trees that fell along Pali Highway,&#8221; the statement read. &#8220;HPD is also coordinating with the Hawaiʻi National Guard and other first responder agencies. National Guard all-terrain vehicles capable of navigating high water and flooded areas have been strategically pre-positioned across the island and are ready for rapid deployment if needed.&#8221;
Up to eight inches of rain may still fall on Kauai, and tropical storm warnings remain in effect across the entire state.
Torrential rains made Rainbow Falls — in Hilo on the Big Island (Hawai&#8217;i) — unrecognizable &#8230;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rainbow Falls in Hilo, Hawaii, is roaring as Hurricane Lala brought torrential rain this weekend. <a href="https://t.co/lFGGkduy24">pic.twitter.com/lFGGkduy24</a>
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) <a href="https://x.com/accuweather/status/2088989303489827195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8230; and turned local roads into rivers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Massive debris flow taking place at our condos south of Pahala. This isn’t a river, this is our road, local that lives here says he’s never seen anything close to this in 25 years.
Many homes in this area may be in very serious danger, not a good situation. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Lala?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lala</a> <a href="https://t.co/ooAiR4JoSx">pic.twitter.com/ooAiR4JoSx</a>
— Max Olson (@MesoMax919) <a href="https://x.com/MesoMax919/status/2088901905212977541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Lala even produced a summer blizzard at the summit of Mauna Kea — the dormant volcano that is Hawaii&#8217;s highest point, at nearly 13,800 feet — where forecasters clocked a 140 mph gust.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It&#8217;s happening. Hurricane Lala is currently producing SNOW on the summit of Mauna Kea <a href="https://t.co/kwz1RNm0Yl">pic.twitter.com/kwz1RNm0Yl</a>
— Greg Diamond (@gdimeweather) <a href="https://x.com/gdimeweather/status/2088791430982479875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Downed trees in Hana, on Maui&#8217;s east coast, trapped vehicles on the road.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Giant tree comes crashing down on car blocking Ulaino Road in Hāna, East Maui leaving some people trapped.
Mahalo nui to <a href="https://x.com/mauinick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mauinick</a> &amp; county crews for helping the man in this vehicle get out safely! He walked away with not even a scratch! <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/mauinokaoi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mauinokaoi</a> <a href="https://t.co/AyXa0hxUsb">pic.twitter.com/AyXa0hxUsb</a>
— Chelsea Davis (@ChelseaDavisHNN) <a href="https://x.com/ChelseaDavisHNN/status/2088819284726448146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Had Lala come ashore, it would have been only the third hurricane landfall in Hawaii in the modern record. Hurricane Dot hit Kauai in 1959; Hurricane Iniki, a Category 4, hit Kauai again in 1992, killing six and causing more than $3 billion in damage. Hurricane Iselle reached the Big Island in 2014, but had weakened to a tropical storm by landfall.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hurricane Lala has hit a new peak intensity of 80 MPH and 985 mbar as her eyewall directly crosses Hawaii’s shores.
It’s been 155 YEARS since the Big Island has been hit by a storm this strong. <a href="https://t.co/CBUZMXJzxo">pic.twitter.com/CBUZMXJzxo</a>
— Backpirch Weather (@BackpirchCrew) <a href="https://x.com/BackpirchCrew/status/2088824085040025953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Hurricane Lala In Hawaii

Deadly Hurricane Ravages Hawaiian Islands, Houses Float Away

Hawaii

Severe Weather

Weather

GENEVA (Reuters) -Hurricane Melissa was expected to bring catastrophe as it makes landfall in Jamaica with storm surges, flash floods and landslides in the worst storm to hit the Caribbean island this century, a U.N. weather official said on Tuesday.
The Category 5 storm, the strongest possible on the Saffir-Simpson scale, will bring wind gusts of over 186 miles per hour and widespread devastation to the island, where authorities have ordered mandatory evacuations.
&#8220;It’s a catastrophic situation expected in Jamaica,&#8221; the World Meteorological Organization&#8217;s tropical cyclone specialist Anne-Claire Fontan told a Geneva press briefing. &#8220;For Jamaica, it will be the storm of the century for sure.&#8221;
Storm surges of up to four meters were expected, she said, with rainfall set to exceed 70 cm (2.3 ft), causing &#8220;catastrophic flash flooding and landslides,&#8221; she said.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center expects the storm to hit Jamaica early on Tuesday, and then cross eastern Cuba to move over the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos by Wednesday.
STORM INTENSIFIED ON APPROACH
Melissa&#8217;s slow movement over unusually tepid Caribbean water had contributed to its ballooning size and strength, NHC forecasters said, threatening Jamaica with days of never-before-seen catastrophic winds and rain.
The International Federation of the Red Cross said up to 1.5 million in Jamaica were expected to be directly affected by the storm.
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&#8220;Today will be very difficult for tens of thousands, if not millions of people in Jamaica,&#8221; IFRC&#8217;s Necephor Mghendi said via video link from Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago.
&#8220;Roofs will be tested, flood waters will rise, isolation will become a harsh reality for many.&#8221;
To enable swift relief distribution, essential items — tarpaulins, hygiene kits, blankets and safe drinking water — had been pre-positioned in Red Cross branches on the island, he said, with over 800 shelters set up for evacuees.
&#8216;A DIRE SITUATION UNFOLDING IN SLOW MOTION&#8217;
On Monday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness ordered mandatory evacuations for parts of southern Jamaica, including the historic town of Port Royal.
He warned of damage to farmlands, homes and infrastructure on the island, which is roughly the size of Connecticut and whose main airports sit close to sea level.
&#8220;There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,&#8221; he said.
Holness said his government was as prepared as can be, with an emergency response budget of $33 million and insurance and credit provisions for damage a little larger than that sustained from last year&#8217;s devastating Hurricane Beryl.
Beryl was the earliest and fastest Atlantic hurricane on record to reach Category 5, but scientists warn that storms are becoming stronger faster as a result of climate change warming ocean waters.
&#8220;Slow-moving major hurricanes often go down in history as some of the deadliest and most destructive storms on record,&#8221; said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. &#8220;This is a dire situation unfolding in slow motion.&#8221;
&#8216;WE CAN&#8217;T MOVE&#8217;
Damian Anderson, a teacher from Hagley Gap, a town nestled in Jamaica&#8217;s Blue Mountains, said on Monday impassable roads had already cut off his community.
&#8220;We can&#8217;t move,&#8221; Anderson, 47, said. &#8220;We&#8217;re scared. We&#8217;ve never seen a multi-day event like this before.&#8221;
Nearby Haiti and the Dominican Republic have faced days of torrential downpours leading to at least four deaths, authorities said.
“Melissa will continue to track towards South Cuba and then the Bahamas, bringing again, a lot of rain and destructive wind as well as storm surges,” said the WMO&#8217;s Fontan.
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis ordered evacuations for people in the southern and eastern parts of the archipelago.
In Cuba, authorities said they had evacuated upwards of 500,000 people from areas vulnerable to winds and flooding.
(Reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva, Zahra Burton in Kingston, Dave Sherwood in Havana and Sarah Morland in Mexico City; editing by Kirsti Knolle, Ros Russell and Bernadette Baum)

Hurricane Melissa approaches, in Jamaica

STORM OF THE CENTURY: Hurricane Melissa Set To Slam Jamaica With Record-Breaking Power

Jamaica

World

KINGSTON/HAVANA — Hurricane Melissa began lashing Jamaica with violent gusts on Monday as the U.S. National Hurricane Center upgraded it to a Category 5 storm packing sustained winds of 165 mph, the largest on record to slam into the Caribbean island.
Cuba, the eastern Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos also lie in the expected path of the storm, which will make its way north and east towards Bermuda later this week.
The hurricane is expected to stay well offshore of the United States, bringing only rough surf and minor coastal flooding to the U.S. East Coast.
On Monday at midday (1600 GMT), Melissa was still 145 miles southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 330 miles southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, according to the NHC in Miami.
The hurricane was creeping west at just 3 mph, the center said, but would likely make a north-northeastward turn through Jamaica late on Monday and into Tuesday.
The storm&#8217;s slow movement over unusually tepid Caribbean water had contributed to its ballooning size and strength, the center&#8217;s forecasters said, threatening Jamaica with days of never-before-seen catastrophic winds and as much as 3 feet of rain.
&#8220;This will result in extensive infrastructural damage, long-lasting power and communication outages, and isolated communities,&#8221; the NHC said.
Nearby Haiti and the Dominican Republic have already faced days of torrential downpours leading to at least four deaths, authorities in those island nations said.
Damian Anderson, a teacher from Hagley Gap, a town nestled in Jamaica&#8217;s soaring Blue Mountains, said impassable roads had already cut off his community.
&#8220;We can&#8217;t move,&#8221; Anderson, 47, said. &#8220;We&#8217;re scared. We&#8217;ve never seen a multi-day event like this before.&#8221;
Jamaica has seen many large hurricanes in the past, including Category 4 Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, but a direct hit from a Category 5 would be unprecedented, said Evan Thompson, of Jamaica&#8217;s Meteorological Service.
Category 5 is the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale with sustained winds exceeding 157 mph.
Much of the eastern half of Cuba also battened down ahead of the storm&#8217;s expected landfall late on Tuesday.
Cuban authorities said they had evacuated upwards of 500,000 people living in coastal and mountainous areas vulnerable to heavy winds and flooding.
More than 250,000 people were brought to shelters around Santiago de Cuba, the island&#8217;s second-largest city, which lies square in the crosshairs of the hurricane&#8217;s predicted path.
On Monday, authorities cancelled schools, buses, and trains until further notice across eastern Cuba ahead of the storm&#8217;s arrival.
The hurricane was not expected to directly impact the capital of Havana.
(Reporting by Zahra Burton in Kingston and Dave Sherwood in Havana; writing by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Nia Williams)

Hurricane Melissa Begins to Pummel Jamaica As ‘Catastrophic’ Category 5 Storm Ahead Of Landfall

Category 5

Cuba

Tropical Storm Melissa has become a hurricane and is expected to strengthen into at least Category 4 intensity, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Saturday.
The rapidly intensifying storm is expected to wreak havoc across the Caribbean with catastrophic floods, landslides and storm surges expected in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola into early next week, forcing authorities and residents to batten down.
Hurricane Melissa is located about 130 miles (210 km) southeast of Kingston and about 250 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, according to the NHC advisory.
Maximum sustained winds increased to near 90 mph (150 km/h).
A hurricane warning is in place for Jamaica, and a hurricane watch for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti and parts of Cuba, including Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, and Holguin.
&#8220;I would urge all my fellow citizens, now is the time to be prepared,&#8221; Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said during a press conference in Kingston, adding that the &#8220;entire Jamaica will be impacted&#8221; for multiple days.
Holness advised people in low-lying areas like Port Royal in Kingston to evacuate but did not issue a mandatory evacuation order.
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Evan Thompson, Jamaica&#8217;s principal director at the Meteorological Service, said Melissa is expected to make landfall in Jamaica as a Category 4 storm on Tuesday, and remain for five days. Category 4 hurricanes have sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph.
&#8220;Today is really the last day to do what you have to do on the outside,&#8221; Thompson said.
People around the country were rushing to gather supplies and secure their homes while fishermen and vendors in Kingston raced to prepare their boats and sell their goods before the storm hits.
“When it&#8217;s moving slow, it’s the worst because no one knows what&#8217;s next,” said Diane Thompson, a local herb seller. “I asked God this morning to see if he can turn back the storm. Because no matter what, we cannot manage it.”
The NHC said the storm is currently moving west at 3 mph (6 km/h) and predicts 15 to 30 inches (38 to 76 cm) of rainfall in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola with a possible local maximum of 40 inches. Eastern Cuba is expected to get 6 to 12 inches with local amounts of 18 inches.
Jamaica&#8217;s south coast is expected to see storm surges of up to 13 feet (3.96 m) accompanied by large, destructive waves. Significant storm surges are expected on the southeast coast of Cuba early next week, the agency added.
Clive Davis, a fisherman from Kingston, prepared his boat “Prince Daniel” along the shoreline and said he feared Melissa will bring more damage than last year&#8217;s devastating Hurricane Beryl, which passed just south of the island.
“But this now, she wants to come stay, visit Jamaica for three days, why? It’s gonna slow down business, but it’s nature. We can’t fight against nature,” he said.
(Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru, Zahra Burton and Maria Alejandra Cardona in Kingston; Writing by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Bill Berkrot)

Jamaica Braces As Rapidly Intensifying Hurricane Melissa Lumbers Toward Island

General

(Reuters) — Hurricane Erin, churning north in the Atlantic hundreds of miles offshore, is expected to trigger a dangerous storm surge and tropical storm conditions on Wednesday along North Carolina’s Outer Banks and other stretches of the U.S. East Coast.
The National Hurricane Center warned that roads in the low-lying barrier islands may become impassable, with waves as high as 20 feet crashing ashore. The heavy surf is likely to result in significant beach erosion, it said in its 8 a.m. EDT update.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, freeing up state money and manpower to help during the storm and its aftermath.
Tropical storm and storm-surge warnings are in place for other parts of the North Carolina coastline.
Earlier in the week, the coastal counties of Dare and Hyde — which encompass most of the Outer Banks — ordered residents and tourists to evacuate the vulnerable Ocracoke and Hatteras islands, whose populations swell during the summer months.
Local media reported that ferries took more than 2,220 people off Ocracoke, with the final sailing scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Ferries to Hatteras will keep operating as long as conditions allow, ABC News affiliate WCTI reported.
But Chris Styron, manager of the Pony Island Inn on Ocracoke, is ignoring the evacuation orders and staying to watch over the 50-room hotel.
&#8220;We&#8217;re used to storms like this,&#8221; Styron said. &#8220;I&#8217;m born and raised here. We&#8217;re not really worried — it&#8217;s so far offshore.&#8221;
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The eye of Erin, rated as a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h), was expected to move midway between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda on Wednesday and Thursday as it traveled northward, the NHC said. That trajectory will keep the worst of its winds offshore.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 265 miles (426 km) from the storm’s center, with hurricane-force winds extending for 90 miles.
Even so, the NHC warned beachgoers along most of the East Coast to stay out of the water because of &#8220;life-threatening surf and rip currents.&#8221;
Along the New Jersey shore, swimming and other water activities were prohibited on beaches from Cape May north to Sandy Hook, with high surf and rip current warnings in effect into Friday, the NWS said. Coastal flooding is expected to peak during high tide on Thursday.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams ordered all city public beaches — including Coney Island and Brighton Beach — to close on Wednesday and Thursday.
Fortunately, temperatures in New York were expected to be seasonably cool on Wednesday and Thursday, with highs only reaching 70°F, well below the average of 82°F.
Erin, the fifth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic season and the first to attain hurricane status, had strengthened to a Category 5 storm. The last Atlantic storm to reach that intensity was Hurricane Milton in October 2024.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Frank McGurty and Mark Porter)

Hurricane Erin

Hurricane Erin Threatens North Carolina’s Outer Banks With Storm Surge

Tropical Storm Erin intensified to become the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, with Caribbean residents bracing for what forecasters warn could become a dangerous Category 3 storm as early as Sunday.
The National Hurricane Center confirmed Hurricane Erin reached sustained winds of 75 mph Friday morning, with the storm currently located approximately 460 miles east of the nearest Caribbean islands, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/hurricanes/tropical-storm-erin-expected-strengthen-first-atlantic-hurricane-2025-rcna225175" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBC News reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Erin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Erin</a> Advisory 17: Erin Becomes the First Hurricane of the 2025 Season. Expected to Pass Near Or North of the Leeward Islands On Saturday. <a href="https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb">https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb</a>
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1956367281778253889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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According to the <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2025-08-14-tropical-storm-hurricane-erin-caribbean">Weather Channel</a>, next week, &#8220;Erin is expected to pass between North Carolina and Bermuda,&#8221; with several northern Caribbean islands likely impacted, and forecasters are noting there remains some uncertainty regarding the hurricane&#8217;s impact on the U.S. East Coast.
&#8220;Erin is turning toward the west-northwest as it strengthens. This path will take Erin toward progressively warmer waters, which, in tandem with low wind shear, should allow Erin to become a major hurricane this weekend as it makes a close brush, or travels just north of the Caribbean islands,&#8221; The Weather Channel added.
Given its current trajectory through warm water in the open ocean, the National Hurricane Center projects Hurricane Erin reaching Category 4 status as early as next week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
JUST IN: Erin has been upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.
It is the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season.
Erin is forecast to become a Major Hurricane late weekend/early next week, topping out as a Category 4. <a href="https://t.co/FeSdBfnHWd">pic.twitter.com/FeSdBfnHWd</a>
— MyRadar Weather (@MyRadarWX) <a href="https://twitter.com/MyRadarWX/status/1956367640659734666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Tropical Storm Watches have been issued for several Caribbean islands, including Anguilla, Barbuda, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours, Fox Weather <a href="https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/prep-file-hurricane-erin-becomes-first-hurricane-2025-atlantic-season">reported</a>.
The system is forecast to dump between two and four inches of rain in its early stages, with isolated areas potentially receiving up to six inches, potentially triggering flash/urban flooding, landslides, and mudslides across the northernmost Leeward Islands, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and southern and eastern Puerto Rico, per NBC.
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The disturbance that eventually became Hurricane Erin caused significant destruction in the African Cabo Verde islands earlier this week. Images from the island of São Vicente showed extensive flooding with muddy water rushing through streets and damaging homes, killing multiple people, per Fox Weather.
Emergency management officials in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are urging residents to review hurricane plans and secure emergency supplies despite forecasts showing the storm&#8217;s center remaining offshore.

National Hurricane Center Monitors Tropical Storm Erin

First 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Barrels Toward Caribbean, Forecasters Warn Of Rapid Intensification

Natural Disaster

Puerto Rico

U.S.

Multiple <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEMA</a> officials attended a ritzy climate conference in the Middle East last month, where they pushed climate activism and complained about white women in leadership, as the agency faced criticism over its response to devastating hurricanes and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skipping over</a> of homes with Trump flags in Florida. 
From around November 14 to November 20, FEMA’s Victoria Salinas and Samantha Medlock attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The pair pushed climate activism at the conference and said there were too many white women in relief work. During the conference, participants proposed a <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/11/12/animal-protein-overconsumption-un-climate-confab-attendees-urge-countries-to-implement-tax-on-meat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax on meat</a>, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/11/23/cop29-un-climate-conference-news-resolutions-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> a deal that would make countries like the United States pay developing countries $300 billion per year. 
Salinas is a Biden-Harris appointee serving as the senior official performing the duties of deputy administrator for FEMA, while Medlock serves as Assistant Administrator for Resilience Strategy. It is unclear how much it cost taxpayers to send the two FEMA employees over 6,000 miles across the globe to attend a climate conference.
The trip came a month after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mayorkas-claim-that-fema-was-tremendously-prepared-haunts-biden-harris-admin-after-hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that FEMA may run out of emergency funds amid its ongoing response to the devastation of Hurricane Helene. To <a href="https://www.wbtv.com/2024/12/09/fema-extends-north-carolina-hotel-room-stays-helene-survivors-what-know/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">date</a>, nearly 5,000 people in Western North Carolina are without homes and forced to stay in hotels due to the torrential flooding that destroyed homes and killed over 200 people across the southeast. 
Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) told The Daily Wire that FEMA should not be diverting resources away from disaster relief.
“FEMA sent its employees to Azerbaijan for the United Nations’ climate change conference — during the height of the Hurricane Helene response,” Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) told The Daily Wire. “Diverting attention and resources from the needs of the American People — during a crisis, no less — to focus on the globalists’ climate change agenda is the perfect depiction of our government under the Biden Administration for the last four years.”
Perry, the chair of the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, asked FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell about the cost of the trip as she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whos-lying-top-republican-not-satisfied-with-fema-answers-on-trump-home-scandal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was grilled</a> on November 19 over guidance from a FEMA employee in Lake Placid, Florida, for relief workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump.”
Criswell maintained during her testimony that the guidance was an isolated incident, and punted many of the questions from Republican lawmakers to the status of an ongoing investigation. Since her testimony, whistleblowers in Georgia and North Carolina have alleged that FEMA employees discriminated against Trump supporters.
The embattled director&#8217;s testimony took place as Medlock and Salinas pushed Biden administration policies in Baku. After being given an extended deadline, FEMA asked whether they could wait to comment until after publication.
A <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/U.S.-Center-Schedule-241120-Clean.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule</a> posted by the State Department indicates that FEMA hosted several panels at the conference. Both <a href="https://archive.ph/214Ue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Salinas</a> and <a href="https://archive.ph/8uz5R" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Medlock</a> were interviewed by the State Department’s Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues during their time at the conference. 
On November 14, Medlock was on a <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/U.S.-Center-Schedule-241120-Clean.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">panel</a> called “Resilience at Scale: A New Paradigm for U.S. Government Infrastructure Investments.” According to the State Department, this panel was meant to show how the United States was a “leader in building a more climate resilient and sustainable world.” 
During that panel, Medlock <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THkBPPaKuak&amp;list=PL8GloD-FU2Ch-6cBNPte6mwOmVcGbfy2q&amp;index=15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talked</a> about how FEMA was focused on helping local leaders &#8220;prepare for the impacts of the climate crisis that we know can no longer be avoided.&#8221; She also discussed how the agency had pushed &#8220;low carbon materials and net zero policy.&#8221;
The next day, Salinas spoke on a panel called “With Equality and Resilience for All: Women Influencing Climate Action,” <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stategwi_bonus-with-equality-and-resilience-for-all-activity-7265379003845206016-_4bT/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a recording of the event posted by the State Department. The point of this session was to <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/U.S.-Center-Schedule-241114.pdf">teach participants</a> to “discover how gender-responsive climate action creates more resilient communities for all.” 
“Not all impacts of the climate crisis are felt equally,” the State Department wrote. “Women and girls, in all their diversity, experience unique livelihood, education, health, and safety challenges associated with natural disasters and resource scarcity.” 
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During the event, “Love is Blind” television personality Taylor Krause talked virtually about“female political leaders being especially effective in effectuating climate policy” and how “family planning and reproductive rights have a dramatic impact.” 
On the panel, Salinas talked about how the number of women in FEMA had “grown by the thousands” and said that it was great that it was now “led by a woman.” Salinas pointed to herself as a woman in charge of 2,000 employees as a sign of progress and said that it was necessary to “get more women into decision-making roles.”
<div id="attachment_843245" style="width: 2164px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-843245" class="size-full wp-image-843245" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-12-at-11.12.52-AM.png" alt="" width="2154" height="977" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-12-at-11.12.52-AM.png 2154w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-12-at-11.12.52-AM-300x136.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-12-at-11.12.52-AM-1024x464.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-12-at-11.12.52-AM-768x348.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-12-at-11.12.52-AM-1536x697.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-12-at-11.12.52-AM-2048x929.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2154px) 100vw, 2154px" />Salinas speaks during a panel at COP29.</div>
She also complained about the number of white women in leadership at FEMA, referring to that as a “new challenge.” 
“So at FEMA, our leadership team may be 50% women, but it&#8217;s predominantly white women. And that’s OK, but it&#8217;s not good enough. Right? Because the people we serve in the United States, the intersection of identities &#8230; We know that to be a woman, but to be a woman of color, to be a woman of color with a disability, it goes on and on, leads to so many different experiences and different challenges.” 
That same day Salinas <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrYL9p1IVYE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> on a panel hosted by the America Is All In coalition alongside leftist Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. America Is All In is a <a href="https://www.americaisallin.com/who-we-are" target="_blank" rel="noopener">group</a> that partners with groups like Bloomberg Philanthropies and the United States Climate Alliance to work “alongside the federal government to develop a national climate strategy that meets the urgency of the climate crisis” and scale “climate action around the country.” 
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During the panel discussion, Salinas praised President Joe Biden’s “Inflation Reduction Act” and infrastructure bill, both of which dumped tens of billions of dollars into green energy companies and projects.
Salinas also appeared to criticize local leaders who made requests for FEMA projects without considering climate-friendly materials. 
”We fund what is demanded,” she said. “People oftentimes may not know that they should be envisioning the project with low embodied carbon materials and that the government would fund it.” 
Salinas also praised the Biden administration’s Justice40 <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initiative,</a> which stipulates that at least 40% of certain federal benefits go to “disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.”
On November 19, FEMA helped organize a <a href="https://www.state.gov/climate-crisis/u-s-center-at-cop29-daily-schedule/">panel</a> to “showcase” how the federal government had addressed “climate change” and “inequity.” Medlock participated in another panel on “climate resilience” on November 20, according to the State Department schedule. 
Other things pushed at the conference include a push from the True Animal Protein Price Coalition for COP29 attendees to issue a <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/11/12/animal-protein-overconsumption-un-climate-confab-attendees-urge-countries-to-implement-tax-on-meat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> encouraging the transition &#8220;away from animal protein overconsumption according to national or global dietary guidelines by implementing greenhouse gas emission pricing mechanisms in agri-food systems.&#8221;
COP29 also <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/11/15/al-gore-rant-un-climate-summit-cop29/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">featured</a> a lecture from Al Gore saying that he presses his &#8220;own buttons these days.&#8221;

Medlock

Top FEMA Officials Flew To Ritzy Climate Conference In Middle East Amid Hurricane Controversy

Climate Change

Middle East

United Nations

The House Homeland Security Committee plans to interview a second FEMA employee about a former supervisor&#8217;s instruction for relief workers to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-fema-fires-official-who-told-hurricane-relief-workers-to-skip-trump-homes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skip homes</a> in Florida displaying Trump flags or signs, according to a letter first shared with The Daily Wire. 
Homeland Security Chair Mark Green (R-TN) sent the <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/2024-12-05-Green-et-al-to-Hershey-re-Transcribed-Interview_Redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> Thursday afternoon to Chad Hershey, the supervisor of  former FEMA employee Marn&#8217;i Washington, who ordered workers in Lake Placid to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” The request to Hershey comes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-to-question-fired-fema-supervisor-over-guidance-to-skip-trump-supporters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one day</a> after the committee interviewed Washington, who issued the Trump home guidance both verbally and in a text message. 
“The Committee seeks to uncover the complete nature and extent of FEMA’s misconduct in withholding federal assistance from Americans based on political affiliation,” Green wrote. “Your observations and experience as Ms. Washington’s Task Force Lead for the Disaster Survival Assistance Task Force are vital to the Committee’s investigation.”
The letter was also signed by Reps. Dan Bishop (R-NC) and Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY). 
Citing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs">reports</a> from The Daily Wire, Green wrote that Hershey should schedule a transcribed interview with the committee by December 9. Green indicated that the committee wanted to ask Hershey about comments she made in interviews after she was fired over the guidance, saying that he had directed her to issue the guidance. 
“In an interview following her termination, Ms. Washington claimed that her instructions to FEMA workers were not exceptional, but rather that you, as her direct supervisor, instructed her to avoid homes that had signs bearing support for President-elect Donald J. Trump to avoid ‘community trends of political hostility,’” Green wrote. 
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When first contacted by The Daily Wire, Hershey said that he was “aware” of the situation with the Trump guidance, and that it was being looked into. 
“We are aware of it and we are taking proper action in this situation currently,” Hershey said last month, adding that “we are taking action at this moment regarding the situation that you’re talking about.” 
Whistleblowers told The Daily Wire that at least 20 homes were skipped due to the guidance. Those homes have since been visited by relief workers, according to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. 
Since the first story broke, other whistleblowers have alleged FEMA misconduct toward Trump supporters in Georgia and North Carolina.

Michigan Holds Its Primary Election

EXCLUSIVE: Homeland Security To Interview Second FEMA Employee About Trump Guidance

Department of Homeland Security

Donald Trump

Mark Green

Hurricane Rafael was upgraded to &#8220;major&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurricane</a> status as it approached the western coast of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cuba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cuba</a> in the Caribbean on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Data showed the storm with 115 miles per hour sustained maximum winds, which put it in the Category 3 range on the <a href="https://www.weather.gov/mfl/saffirsimpson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale</a>. Such a storm is considered a &#8220;major&#8221; hurricane with the potential to cause &#8220;devastating damage.&#8221;
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2pm EST update on Category 3 Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafael?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafael</a> as it closes in on western <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cuba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cuba</a> 
See <a href="https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ">https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ</a> for more information <a href="https://t.co/eLWOAGz4L6">pic.twitter.com/eLWOAGz4L6</a>
&mdash; National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1854237480553533759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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In the immediate future, Rafael was expected to bring &#8220;life-threatening storm surge, damaging hurricane-force winds, and flash flooding to portions of western Cuba,&#8221; NHC <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT3+shtml/061755.shtml?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a 1 p.m. ET bulletin. The agency said some strengthening was likely to happen before landfall over western Cuba in the afternoon.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
Just a couple of weeks ago, Cuba got <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8elzx8dg7zo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hit by Hurricane Oscar</a> as the island nation was grappling with a massive power outage.
NHC said Rafael is expected to weaken over Cuba before emerging into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane. Weather impacts in the forecast for the southeastern United States include tropical storm conditions in parts of the lower and middle <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a> Keys into Wednesday evening.
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Here are the 10 AM EST Wednesday Key Messages for Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafael?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafael</a>. Life-threatening storm surge, damaging hurricane-force winds, and flash flooding expected in portions of western Cuba. Follow the latest at <a href="https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ">https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/dg9rxQIgfD">pic.twitter.com/dg9rxQIgfD</a>
&mdash; National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1854179556942631043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Overall, rainfall in the Keys — an island chain extending southwest from the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula — was expected to total between one to three inches. NHC also warned of storm surge in the Dry Tortugas and lower Florida Keys, as well as the potential for tornadoes in the Keys and southwestern Florida mainland.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/NOAA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NOAA</a>&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GOESEast?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GOESEast</a> satellite is continuing to monitor Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafael?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafael</a> this morning, which is strengthening in the Caribbean Sea.
Latest advisories and updates: <a href="https://t.co/ScLdyBaJZb">https://t.co/ScLdyBaJZb</a> <a href="https://t.co/VTLcGGfVDX">pic.twitter.com/VTLcGGfVDX</a>
&mdash; NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) <a href="https://twitter.com/NOAASatellites/status/1854146793082442171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Hurricane Rafael continues to intensify as it approaches western Cuba. Squalls will continue to pivot through the #FloridaKeys through tonight,&#8221; the National Weather Service <a href="https://x.com/NWSKeyWest/status/1854178465907667210" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emphasized</a> in a post to X. &#8220;The best chance for tropical storm force winds will be this evening and overnight, especially in the Lower &amp; Middle Keys.&#8221;
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Hurricane Rafael continues to intensify as it approaches western Cuba. Squalls will continue to pivot through the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FloridaKeys?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FloridaKeys</a> through tonight. The best chance for tropical storm force winds will be this evening and overnight, especially in the Lower &amp; Middle Keys. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FLwx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KeyWest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KeyWest</a> <a href="https://t.co/dl3Epo8j1y">pic.twitter.com/dl3Epo8j1y</a>
&mdash; NWS Key West (@NWSKeyWest) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSKeyWest/status/1854178465907667210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The hurricane was expected to head farther west into the Gulf during the week and into the weekend, but NHC <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?start#contents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cautioned</a> on Wednesday that it was &#8220;too soon to determine what, if any, impacts Rafael could bring to portions of the western Gulf Coast. Residents in this area should regularly monitor updates to the forecast.&#8221;
A couple of major hurricanes slammed into the southeastern United States this year.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/remnants-of-hurricane-helene-continue-to-wreak-havoc-on-southeastern-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane Helene</a> wreaked havoc in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia in late September. And <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane-milton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane Milton</a> barreled through central Florida in October. Between the storms this hurricane season, the U.S. death toll is in the hundreds and the cost of the damage is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars.

Hurricane Rafael approaches Cuba

Rafael Becomes Major Hurricane In The Caribbean

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/first-responders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">First responders</a> have been hard at work helping people and animals with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane-milton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane Milton</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/major-hurricane-milton-makes-landfall-over-florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slamming</a> into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a> as a &#8220;major&#8221; Category 3 hurricane late on Wednesday.
Milton swept through the central part of the state, unleashing heavy rain, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hurricane-milton-bears-down-on-florida-unleashes-tornadoes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tornadoes</a>, and storm surge. At least 10 deaths have been <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/milton-forecast-hurricane-tracker/?id=114553995" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> &#8212; and millions of customers lost power.
All the while, rescue efforts have been underway. Here are just a few, now that the hurricane has passed:
One striking <a href="https://x.com/USCGSoutheast/status/1844466002584842667" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> posted to social media showed what the U.S. Coast Guard said was a helicopter crew saving a man holding onto a cooler about 30 miles off Longboat Key.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Breaking?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Breaking</a> An <a href="https://twitter.com/USCG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCG</a> Air Station Miami 65 helicopter crew rescued a man clinging to a cooler approximately 30 mi. off Longboat Key. 
The man was taken to Tampa General Hospital for medical care. 
Sector St. Pete lost communications w/ the man at approx. 6:45 p.m., Wed. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAR</a> <a href="https://t.co/64wSHuRAeH">pic.twitter.com/64wSHuRAeH</a>
&mdash; USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) <a href="https://twitter.com/USCGSoutheast/status/1844466002584842667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Coast Guard District 7, which shared the video, said the man was taken to Tampa General Hospital for medical care.
In a <a href="https://x.com/HCSOSheriff/status/1844401938953084999" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> posted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff&#8217;s Office on Thursday, a boat crew can be seen rescuing a 14-year-old boy clutching onto a fence in floodwaters.
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Sheriff Chad Chronister and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/teamHCSO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#teamHCSO</a>&#39;s Marine Unit rescued a 14-year-old boy who was submerged in floodwaters and floating on debris following Hurricane Milton. <a href="https://t.co/mOInO7ZM0j">pic.twitter.com/mOInO7ZM0j</a>
&mdash; HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/HCSOSheriff/status/1844401938953084999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister <a href="https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/14-year-old-found-floating-on-fence-in-tampa-floodwaters-after-hurricane-milton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told WFLA</a> the boy stayed at a friend&#8217;s house after evacuating from the hurricane, and got stuck walking back home when it passed.
&#8220;It was literally out of a castaway movie, him laying on top of a fence, waving us,&#8221; Chronister said. &#8220;Out of breath, gasping for air as we pulled him up.&#8221;
Another <a href="https://x.com/HCSOSheriff/status/1844373543523410054" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> from the Hillsborough County Sheriff&#8217;s Office showed the rescue of 135 residents from the Great American Assisted Living facility in Tampa.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/teamHCSO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#teamHCSO</a> rescued over 135 residents from the Great American Assisted Living facility in Tampa. We&#39;re thankful to be able to get all of these people to safety. <a href="https://t.co/LGq2aOWh9q">pic.twitter.com/LGq2aOWh9q</a>
&mdash; HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/HCSOSheriff/status/1844373543523410054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Florida Highway Patrol shared a <a href="https://x.com/FHPTampa/status/1844036069219574083" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> on Wednesday of troopers saving a dog tied to a pole with water up to its waist along I-75.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
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FHP Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning. Do NOT do this to your pets please… <a href="https://t.co/8cZJOfkJL2">pic.twitter.com/8cZJOfkJL2</a>
&mdash; FHP Tampa (@FHPTampa) <a href="https://twitter.com/FHPTampa/status/1844036069219574083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Responding to that post, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis <a href="https://x.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1844058578438717589" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thanked</a> the Florida Highway Patrol and delivered a warning to anyone who brings harm to pets.
&#8220;It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm. FL will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable,&#8221; DeSantis said.
With a follow-up post, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shared an update along with a photo appearing to show the dog in good spirits.
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Update: The dog rescued by <a href="https://twitter.com/FHPTampa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FHPTampa</a> is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health. <a href="https://t.co/cut1jv7cBe">pic.twitter.com/cut1jv7cBe</a>
&mdash; FLHSMV (@FLHSMV) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLHSMV/status/1844085214131155027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health,&#8221; it said.

Officials perform water rescues in Clearwater after Hurricane Milton

SEE IT: Scenes From Breathtaking Rescues After Hurricane Milton Hits Florida

First Responders

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taylor-swift">Taylor Swift</a> has pledged $5 million to help <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane">relief efforts</a> following the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/natural-disaster">devastation</a> caused by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
The 34-year-old recording artist, who was just named the world’s wealthiest female musician with an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion, made the large donation to the non-profit organization Feeding America.
This was confirmed on the group&#8217;s official Instagram page. A message from Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fonteno said, &#8220;We&#8217;re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift for her generous $5 million donation to Hurricane Helene and Milton relief efforts. This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.”
The statement continued, “Together, we can make a real impact in supporting families as they navigate the challenges ahead. Thank you, Taylor, for standing with us in the movement to end hunger and for helping communities in need.&#8221;
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The caption thanked Swift &#8220;for standing with us and the movement to end hunger and helping communities in need in the wake of #HurricaneHelene and #HurricaneMilton.” 
“Together, we can make a real impact in supporting families as they navigate the challenges ahead,&#8221; the caption concluded.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Swift has donated large amounts to charities and people in need before. In December 2023, she pledged $1 million toward natural disaster relief after damaging storms caused damage in Tennessee. The “Blank Space” singer also gave $100,000 to the family of a 44-year-old woman who was killed at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade last February.
Hurricane Milton made landfall over the central west coast of Florida on Wednesday evening, bringing with it powerful winds, torrential rain, and damaging storm surge, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/major-hurricane-milton-makes-landfall-over-florida">reported</a>. The state had already been hit by Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago, and cleanup efforts were ongoing when the latest storm hit.
The National Hurricane Center announced that the storm’s eye made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near Siesta Key in Sarasota County at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a “major” Category 4 hurricane late last month. The storm traveled across Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia, contributing to the deaths of at least 227 people. Entire towns were destroyed, and millions lost power, cell phone service, and running water.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift Donates $5M To Hurricane Relief Efforts

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