Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian media: Israeli occupation forces storm the Old City in the center of Nablus, occupied West Bank
Local sources to Al Mayadeen: Sudanese army forces drones strike town of Kabkabiya, North Darfur.
Syrian Observatory: The plane is loaded with air defense systems and heavy weapons as part of US troop reinforcements to its bases in northeastern Syria
Syrian Observatory: US cargo plane lands with two military helicopters at Kharab al-Jir base in the countryside of Rmeilan, north of Hasakah
Miguel Díaz-Canel to Gustavo Petro: US seeks to reimpose the Monroe Doctrine in its relations with sovereign states in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, the military wing of the PFLP, says they handed over the body of an Israeli captive to the Israeli occupation forces in implementation of the clauses of the ceasefire agreement.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: Israeli drones are flying over the presidential palace in Baabda, Mount Lebanon, and over the skies of the capital, Beirut, and its suburbs.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli warplanes launch a series of raids on the al-Mahmoudiya and Jarmaq areas
Trump reiterates proposal for Russia and Ukraine to stop at current front line, negotiate later
Reuters: Trump says no discussion regarding Ukraine ceding Donbas to Russia

US official ordered relief workers to skip MAGA houses after hurricane

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 10 Nov 2024 21:40
5 Min Read

According to federal personnel, at least 20 residences with Trump signs or flags were skipped between the end of October and early November, denying them the opportunity to apply for FEMA help.

Listen
  • x
  • US official ordered relief workers to skip MAGA houses after hurricane
    A house lies toppled off its stilts after the passage of Hurricane Milton in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida, October 10, 2024. (AP)

A federal disaster relief official directed workers to avoid Donald Trump supporters' homes when surveying Hurricane Milton damage in Florida, according to private communication acquired by The Daily Wire and corroborated by numerous federal employees.

A FEMA supervisor instructed staffers to "avoid homes advertising Trump" while they surveyed Lake Placid, Florida, to locate homeowners who could be eligible for government assistance, according to internal texts obtained by The Daily Wire. Multiple federal employees informed The Daily Wire that the supervisor, Marn'i Washington, delivered this instruction both orally and via a relief team's group chat.

According to federal personnel, at least 20 residences with Trump signs or flags were skipped between the end of October and early November, denying them the opportunity to apply for FEMA help. Images published by The Daily Wire show workers skipping over properties and writing notes in the government system like "Trump sign no entry per leadership."

The personnel were part of a Department of Homeland Security surge capacity force team, which means they volunteered from other DHS departments to assist an underfunded FEMA in dealing with a second big hurricane in a matter of weeks.

'Best practice to avoid homes advertising Trump'

The incident occurred amid criticism of the Biden administration’s slow response to the disaster, particularly in rural areas like Roan Mountain, Tennessee, where it took nearly two weeks for FEMA to arrive. The area, which heavily supported Trump in the recent election, was among those affected by the delayed aid.

FEMA agents were directed not to aid residences with Trump signs in Highlands County, a deep-red county in south central Florida that voted 70% for Trump on Tuesday.

According to images of the exchanges obtained by The Daily Wire, Washington stated in the chat that it would be "best practice" to "avoid homes advertising Trump. Washington leads Highland County's Disaster Survivor Assistance crews. 

Related News

Court approves Trump’s Oregon National Guard deployment to Portland

EU shift from Russian gas with US LNG risky: Gazprom CEO

Chad Hershey, Washington's FEMA supervisor, told The Daily Wire that the government is investigating the incident and "taking proper action in this situation currently," while a  FEMA spokesperson informed The Daily Wire that it was "deeply disturbed" and "horrified" by the employee's behavior, and that it has taken extreme measures to correct the situation.

“The employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident," the spokesperson said.

A FEMA spokesperson confirmed that Washington is currently not working for the agency due to an investigation. On October 22 and 27, Washington instructed staff to avoid helping Trump supporters, but the directive was later removed. By October 30, Washington began reversing the instructions after a meeting with FEMA executives. Despite this, Washington was not reprimanded but transferred to another county in Florida. A whistleblower complaint raised concerns about political discrimination, highlighting the potential threat to both the agency's integrity and democracy.

Hurricanes, storms cost US $500bln in economic losses in 2024

Hurricanes and tropical storms that battered the United States in 2024 caused economic damages of about $500 billion, AccuWeather reported.

Experts calculated that Hurricane Beryl's economic loss and destruction to the Gulf Coast in July was between $28 billion to $32 billion. Hurricane Debby, which slammed the Carolinas hardest a month later, caused $28 billion in damage, while Hurricane Francine cost around $9 billion, according to The Hill.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which blew across the South in late September and October, caused the most economic damage, according to AccuWeather scientists.

Hurricane Helene, which ravaged areas of North Carolina, was believed to have caused between $225 billion and $250 billion in overall damage and economic loss, flooding houses, collapsing roads, uprooting trees, and leaving hundreds of thousands of citizens without electricity for weeks.

According to figures provided late last month by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), individuals and households in the Tar Heel State received more than $194 million in assistance.

Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc on Florida in early October, causing between $160 billion and 180 billion in economic loss and total damage. The storm swiftly increased, sweeping through towns, demolishing homes, and flooding the streets with muck, leaving more than 3 million people without electricity at some point.

AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter stated that it would take "years" for these communities, families, and small businesses to recover, adding that some communities may "never fully recover from the catastrophic inland flash flooding we witnessed this year.”

  • United States
  • Hurricane Milton
  • FEMA
  • US President Donald Trump
  • Donald Trump
  • MAGA

Most Read

Iran strikes secret Israeli-US bunker under Tel Aviv high-rise

Tel Aviv high-rise struck by Iran hid Site 81, secret US-Israeli base

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Yemeni Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari , during a ceremony in an undisclosed locations in Yemen, undate (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemeni Armed Forces mourn martyred Chief of Staff al-Ghamari

  • Politics
  • 16 Oct 2025
Israeli occupation violates Gaza ceasefire, killing seven Palestinians.

Israeli occupation violates Gaza ceasefire, kills seven Palestinians

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Zionists Fundamentally Misread Iran Due To Their Own Echo Chambers

Zionists fundamentally misread Iran due to their own echo chambers

  • Analysis
  • 15 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
UK blocks release of documents on secretive Lammy-Sa’ar meeting.
Politics

UK blocks release of documents on secret Lammy-Sa’ar meeting

Colombia slams Trump’s drug accusation, defends sovereignty
Politics

Colombia slams Trump’s incendiary drug claims, defends sovereignty

The abuse was detailed in Giuffre's memoir "Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice." (AP)
Politics

Epstein victim recounts choking, sexual assault by 'well-known PM'

The US Secret Service discovered a hunting stand near the airport President Donald Trump uses in Florida. (US Secret Service)
Politics

FBI probes hunting stand with sightline to Trump’s Air Force One exit

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS