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
Pakistani Army: India attacked Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi and all air force assets are safe.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in occupied Palestine: Israeli artillery shelling of the Qizan al-Najjar area, south of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Four explosions were heard in the Indian city of Amritsar, near the Pakistani border: Reuters.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in occupied Palestine: Israeli artillery shelling targeted the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Pakistan: Reports of a loud explosion in the city of Rawalpindi.
Information Minister in Pakistani-administered Kashmir: Five civilians killed and at least 29 others injured in shelling across the border with India
Israeli Army Radio's diplomatic correspondent quoted a senior Israeli official as saying: So he [Trump] decided to cut off contact. That might still change, but that’s the situation right now
Israeli Army Radio's diplomatic correspondent quoted a senior Israeli official as saying: Trump’s circle told him [Dermer] that Netanyahu was manipulating him, and there’s nothing Trump hates more than being portrayed as someone being played
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: Meetings between the Israelis, Egyptians, and Qataris are all centered around the Israeli proposal, which does not guarantee an end to the war [on Gaza]
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: “Israel” is threatening to expand the ground offensive if Hamas rejects the proposal

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

Iran: Indirect talks with US to resume Sunday, Oman to host

US will pay the price for Trump’s universities attacks: The Times

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

Pro-Palestinian protesters march toward the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Washington (AP)

US House to vote on bill criminalizing boycott of 'Israel'

  • Politics
  • 3 May 2025
Throughout Operation Prosperity Guardian, current and former US military and intelligence officials expressed disquiet at the enormous “cost offset” involved in battling Ansar Allah. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab El-Hajj)

Ansar Allah triumphant: US facing Red Sea defeat again

  • Opinion
  • 3 May 2025
Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu, senior Israeli official says

Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu: Israeli media

  • US & Canada
  • 9 May 2025
Pakistan downs an Indian jet and hits a military base in Kashmir escalation.

Pakistan downs 3 Indian jets, hits military base in Kashmir escalation

  • Politics
  • 7 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
Bodies of some of the victims of an Israeli army strike on a restaurant, which killed at least 29 people, are transported from the scene to a hospital in Gaza City, May 7, 2025.(AP)
Politics

Israeli strikes massacre multiple families in Gaza, including infants

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, listening to French President Emmanuel Macron prior to a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Ludovic Marin, Pool Photo via AP)
Politics

Witkoff says JCPOA deal off the table, but broader Iran talks possible

screengrab
Politics

28th YAF ballistic missile sparks panic, mass sirens across Palestine

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV concelebrates Mass with the College of Cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican the day after his election as 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Friday, May 9, 2025 (AP)
Politics

New pope criticized JD Vance and Trump before becoming Pope

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