"It will take years:" Rescuers rush to Caribbean islands as Category 5 Irma churns toward Florida
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — French, British and Dutch rescuers rushed aid to a string of Caribbean islands Thursday after Hurricane Irma left at least seven dead and thousands homeless as it traced a course that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida this weekend.Warships and military planes were dispatched to the stricken zone with food, water and troops after the fearsome Category 5 storm smashed homes, schools and roads.Hundreds of the miles to the west, Florida braced for the onslaught, with forecasters warning Irma could slam headlong into the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people, punish the entire length of the state's Atlantic coast and push on into Georgia and South Carolina.Officials issued mandatory evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people in the Florida Keys and in exposed or low-lying parts of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area as Irma closed in with winds of 175 mph (281 kph).By early Thursday afternoon, the hurricane was north of the Dominican Republic, where authorities reported some flooding and the evacuation of several thousand locals and tourists but no serious damage or casualties.Skies over the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, were still clear just after noon local time.
Most Florida flood zone property not insured: "This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history"
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida -- As Hurricane Irma bears down on Florida, an Associated Press analysis shows a steep drop in flood insurance across the state, including the areas most endangered by what could be a devastating storm surge.In just five years, the state's total number of federal flood insurance policies has fallen by 15 percent, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency data.Florida's property owners still buy far more federal flood insurance than any other state — 1.7 million policies, covering about $42 billion in assets — but most residents in hazard zones are badly exposed.With 1,350 miles of coastline, the most in the continental United States, Florida has roughly 2.5 million homes in hazard zones, more than three times that of any other state, FEMA estimates.
"Really helps:" Travel agents stress importance of insurance when it comes to situations like Irma
ELM GROVE -- Hurricane Irma has made big changes to travel plans, and that has travel agents reminding people of the importance of travel insurance.Travel agents were busy Wednesday, September 6th at Elm Grove Travel as Irma made landfall.
President, first lady donate $1M to 12 organizations for Harvey relief
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are donating a total of $1 million to a dozen organizations involved in Harvey relief work, including the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity, the White House announced Wednesday.The American Red Cross and Salvation Army will each receive $300,000; Samaritan's Purse and Reachout America will collect $100,000 each.The Trumps are giving $25,000 each to eight other organizations: the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Catholic Charities, Direct Relief, Habitat for Humanity, Houston Humane Society, Operation Blessing, Portlight Inclusive Disaster Strategies and Team Rubicon.The White House said the donations are coming from the president's personal funds.Harvey slammed into the Gulf Coast of Texas on Aug. 25 as a Category 4 hurricane.
$28M collected: Derek Watt supports brother JJ's efforts to raise money for Hurricane Harvey victims
HOUSTON, Texas -- JJ Watt's fundraising effort for those impacted by Hurricane Harvey was approaching $30 million Wednesday, September 6th, and his brother Derek told TMZ he hopes they'll soon crush that goal as well.JJ Watt tweeted Wednesday his Houston Flood Relief Fund reached $28 million.
At least 70: Relatively low Harvey death toll is 'astounding' to experts
AUSTIN, Texas — Harvey has so far killed at least 70 people who drowned in floods, got crushed by trees and died during power outages — a surprisingly low toll that experts say reflects heeded warnings, swift action by first responders and volunteers, and no small amount of luck."It was astounding that we didn't have a much larger loss of life," said Phil Bedient, co-director of a Rice University effort to research severe storms and evacuations. "It is a relatively low number for as big a storm as this was."The system intensified from an ordinary storm to a Category 4 hurricane in just over two days before striking Texas on Aug. 25 and dropping 52 inches of rain while parked over the Houston area.Authorities and experts say lessons learned from previous disasters made a major difference.
4 dogs impacted by Harvey find forever homes just 2 days after arriving at HAWS
WAUKESHA -- The first of the dogs impacted by Hurricane Harvey, who are being cared for at the Humane Animal Welfare Society in Waukesha have found their forever homes!HAWS officials announced Wednesday, September 6th that Sunny and Boomer went home with their new families, and BJ and Batman would go home later Wednesday.More than fifty dogs displaced by Hurricane Harvey arrived in Waukesha Monday.The dogs that arrived at Crites Field in Waukesha Monday, after a stop in Oklahoma, are dogs that were already in the shelter system, many long before Harvey's arrival.
House passes $7.9 billion Harvey disaster aid package
WASHINGTON -- The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed $7.9 billion in Hurricane Harvey disaster relief as warring Republicans and Democrats united behind help for victims of that storm as an ever more powerful new hurricane bore down on Florida.The 419-3 vote sent the aid package — likely the first of several — to the Senate in hopes of sending the bill to President Donald Trump before dwindling federal disaster reserves run out at the end of this week."Help is on the way," said Texas GOP Rep.
Houston cleanup has little crime and lots of helping hands
HOUSTON — After riding out Hurricane Harvey in a motel and waiting an agonizing week for the waist-high waters to recede, 71-year-old Bob Janak returned to his wrecked home for the first time to find it swarming with people.They weren't thieves or looters.
Florida's Gov. Rick Scott: Anyone evacuating should "get out now"
MIAMI -- Florida Gov.
NFL: Dolphins-Bucs will not be played in Miami this week
DAVIE, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins' season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not be played in Miami this week, but may be moved to a neutral site because of Hurricane Irma, the NFL said Tuesday.If the game is not relocated, it will be postponed until November, when the teams share the same bye week.Kickoff had been scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT, but Irma is forecast to threaten South Florida this weekend.
Selena's father mourns relatives who died in van during Harvey flooding
HOUSTON – The father of slain Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla is mourning six relatives who died in Hurricane Harvey's floodwaters.Abraham Quintanilla said in a post on Facebook that he is related to the family members found dead in a van that was pulled from a bayou Aug. 30, according to the San Antonio Express-News."Manuel's mother Carolina was my father's 1st cousin," Abraham Quintanilla wrote. "My condolences to their family."
President Trump declares emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands as Irma approaches
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has declared emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as Hurricane Irma prepares for landfall.The declarations authorize the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts in those places.The dangerous Category 5 storm is wielding the most powerful winds ever recorded for a storm in the Atlantic Ocean.
Beyonce, Streisand to headline Harvey relief telethon September 12th
NEW YORK — Beyonce, Blake Shelton, Barbra Streisand and Oprah Winfrey will headline a one-hour telethon to benefit Hurricane Harvey victims that will be simulcast next week on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CMT.The event will be telecast live at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 12, and on tape delay at 8 p.m. on the West Coast, and streamed live on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
"It makes you feel good:" Volunteers to pack 1M meals in 30 days for Harvey victims
MILWAUKEE -- Harvey is long gone, but some people are still trying to find their way in the wake of the devastating storm.
