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Floridians return home to clean up from two hurricanes with gas and power in short supply [Video]
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Floridians return home to clean up from two hurricanes with gas and power in short supply [Video]

Surrounded by the damage left behind by hurricanes Helene and Milton, people across Florida are facing the daunting task of cleaning up, but many lack the electricity and fuel to do it.Related video above: Federal government combats misinformation amid hurricane recoveryHampered by roads blocked by fallen trees and flooding, fuel suppliers and power companies are working to get the infrastructure of daily life back up and running and police are aiding recovery efforts by providing escorts to fuel tankers trying to reach those most in need.President Joe Biden will visit Florida to survey the damage after the storm, the White House announced. On Sunday morning, he will take an aerial tour to see some of the most heavily damaged areas, meet with first responders, and speak in St. Petersburg.Here’s the latest: Gas stations still waiting for fuel: Just under 30% of the state’s gas stations have no fuel as of early Sunday, according to the monitoring website GasBuddy.com. In the hard-hit Tampa-St. Petersburg area, more than three-quarters of stations, 77%, are out of gas. In the Sarasota area, 62%. Around Ft. Myers and Naples area, it’s 42%, and in the Orlando area, 35%. More than 37.3 million gallons of fuel have been offloaded at Florida ports, according to Kevin Guthrie, director of the state’s Division of Emergency Management. “We have right now 25 Florida Highway Patrol escorts to rush in the fuel tankers from the port, and so those are being brought in to fill out the stations,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. Three public fuel sites in Plant City, Bradenton and St. Petersburg have been opened, where customers can receive 10 gallons of gas each for free. The governor said more will be opened on Sunday in Charlotte, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Power is gradually being restored: As of early Sunday, 1.25 million people remained out of power across the state, down from a peak of nearly 3 million. Crews from across the country are working to reconnect homes and businesses to the grid. The power companies are estimating most people will have electricity by midweek. St. Petersburg offers gas and charging stations: The city of St. Petersburg has set up temporary stations to help residents in need, with a place to charge their phones and pick up essentials like bottled water, batteries and tarps. The city remains under a boil water notice due to multiple line breaks and 25 crews are on the streets picking up debris. “We have weathered two storms in less than two weeks. This is unprecedented from a debris standpoint but it’s still our top priority to get our city cleaned up and resume to some type of normalcy,” said Mike Jefferis, city enrichment administrator. President Biden approves major disaster declaration: President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for the state on Saturday, according to FEMA. “Federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Florida to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Milton” from October 5 onward, a FEMA news release stated. Biden’s approval makes funding available for people in more than 30 counties impacted by Milton, according to the release. The funds include grants for temporary housing and home repairs.Flooding continues to slow down recoveryOngoing flooding issues after Milton dumped 16 inches of rain over Hillsborough County has hindered the area’s recovery from the storm, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Saturday.”The water doesn’t subside as rapidly as all of us would like, so, this healing, this recovery, is taking a lot longer,” Chronister said.Meanwhile, the National Weather Service office in Tampa Bay continued flood warnings for rivers in Hillsborough, Sarasota and Manatee counties and several other locations Saturday, with some set to remain in effect “until further notice,” according to the weather service.The Alafia River in Lithia, Florida, and the Hillsborough River, both in the Tampa area, remained at major flood stage by early Sunday.A CNN crew touring the Hillsborough County neighborhood of Valrico with the sheriff’s office on Saturday observed widespread flooding for several blocks, leaving front yards and garages covered in water. Some residents told them they’d never seen such severe flooding in their decades of living there.Chronister said Saturday Hillsborough County’s crews performed more than 300 rescues within 48 hours, adding teams are working around the clock.Drivers seek relief amid gas shortageDozens of Florida drivers likely low on fuel for days waited in lengthy lines Saturday outside gas stations in hopes of filling their tanks and cans, as shortages in the state’s hard-hit areas persisted.Some people told CNN they’ve had to use word of mouth to find out which stations have gas. Drone footage Saturday morning showed long lines of drivers hugging both sides of Thornton’s gas station in Oldsmar in Pinellas County.One of those lines made of at least 20 drivers stretched across the intersection while letting other drivers travel through, a video showed. But relief was en route Saturday for some stations, including at a Wawa in Valrico, Florida, where Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies escorted a gas tanker truck as several drivers awaited the chance to use the pumps.A man standing outside his parked white pickup truck punched a grateful thumbs-up into the air as the tanker pulled in, video showed. Paula Cast told CNN her family visited four or five different gas stations Friday, but everything was closed.Then on Saturday, they got a call from one of their friends saying a Wawa station had gas. “So me and my son immediately ran over here, and we’ve been in line for about an hour and a half, literally on fumes,” Cast said.CNN’s Sam Fossum contributed to this report.

FEMA opening center for recovery assistance [Video]
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FEMA opening center for recovery assistance [Video]

PRESSING NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY. FEMA IS COMING BACK TO THE UPSTATE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH CLAIMS AND RECOVERY. THE GOAL THERE IS TO MAKE FILING A CLAIM AS EASY AS POSSIBLE IN THE WAKE OF HELENE. OUR NATE STANLEY JOINS US LIVE NOW WITH THE DETAILS. GOOD EVENING. HERE AT THE FREETOWN COMMUNITY CENTER. WERE STARTING TOMORROW. FEMA SAYS IT WILL HAVE A ONE STOP SHOP FOR YOUR RECOVERY NEEDS. GABRIEL GONZALEZ, A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER WITH FEMA, SAYS HIS TEAM WILL BE IN GREENVILLE OFFERING SEVERAL SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS. THIS IS AN EXPANSION OF THE POP UP INSURANCE VILLAGE THEY HELD AT A HOME DEPOT LAST WEEK. WE CAN DO FROM OUR REGISTRATION INTAKE TO VERIFYING DENIAL LETTERS AND COUNSELING ON THE CASE. WE HAVE TRANSLATION SERVICES AS WELL. HE SAYS YOU SHOULD COME PREPARED WITH DOCUMENTATION OF YOUR SITUATION. ANY FORM OF ID? SECOND OF ALL, PROOF OF RESIDENCY. IT COULD BE A LEASE. IT COULD BE A MORTGAGE. DEED IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THEM ALL. I CANT STRESS THIS ENOUGH AS PICTURES FROM THE DAMAGES. IF YOU HAVE QUOTES FROM A CONTRACTOR DENIAL LETTERS FROM YOUR PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANY. IF APPROVED, FEMA SAYS THEY WILL BE PROVIDING GRANTS, NOT LOANS, TO THOSE WHO ARE FOUND ELIGIBLE. GRANTS THAT CAN CAP OFF AT $42,500. THE INITIAL ASSISTANCE OF 750 FROM THE SERIOUS NEED ASSISTANCE IS JUST THE BEGINNING, GONZALEZ ADDS. YOUR BANKING INFORMATION IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO GET YOUR MONEY QUICKLY. WE CAN DIRECT DEPOSIT YOU THE FUNDS, WHICH ONLY TAKES BETWEEN 4 TO 7 BUSINESS DAYS RATHER THAN PEOPLE THAT STILL PREFER TO RECEIVE A CHECK IN THE MAIL. AND GONZALEZ SAYS THAT THE CENTER WILL BE OPEN FROM 8 A.M. TO 7 P.M. ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS. BUT HE DOES EXPECT IT WILL BE HERE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS IN THE FUTURE. AND HE ALSO EXPECTS OTHER CENTERS TO BE OPEN UP TO BE OPENING UP IN OTHER LOCATIONS IN TH

Senator Baldwin accepts the Friend of Farm Bureau award at a family farm in Fall Creek [Video]
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Senator Baldwin accepts the Friend of Farm Bureau award at a family farm in Fall Creek [Video]

FALL CREEK, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) Senator Tammy Baldwin paying a visit to a family farm in Fall Creek this afternoon. The visit comes as the Senator is being presented with the Friend of Farm Bureau award by the American Farm Bureau Federation. Baldwin says its important to her to connect with Wisconsin farmers, to hear []

Foiled Election Day terrorist plot took months of planning, lawmaker says [Video]
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Foiled Election Day terrorist plot took months of planning, lawmaker says [Video]

A 27-year-old Afghanistan citizen living in Oklahoma City faces charges after he allegedly conspired to conduct a terrorist attack on behalf of ISIS in the U.S. on Election Day.The Department of Justice says Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi wanted to target large groups of Americans on Election Day. The FBI added that Tawhedi’s underage co-conspirator is his wife’s younger brother. Sen. James Lankford told sister station KOCO that he spoke with the FBI throughout the investigation and monthslong effort to stop the Election Day terror plot. A big part of the case was a digital trail, as court documents have pictures of Tawhedi’s social media accounts and chilling text conversations. “We’re a year and a day past when terrorists crossed over a border, killed 1,200 people and took hundreds of hostages,” Lankford told KOCO on Tuesday. The U.S. senator was in Oklahoma City to attend a memorial event for local Jews in remembrance of Hamas’ surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in Israel. Lankford provided details of the arrest of Tawhedi, along with his juvenile co-conspirator. “An individual here in OKC that has been connecting with ISIS overseas, planning and preparing, providing resources and funding to carry out a terrorist attack here in the United States,” Lankford said. Charging documents from the DOJ highlight digital messaging conversations Tawhedi had with a man who used the alias “Abdul Malik” on the messaging app Telegram. In part of the conversation, Tawhedi said, “Brother, our house was sold today. We’ll receive the money by the 15th of October next month. After that, we’ll begin our duty, God willing, with the help of God, we will get ready for the election day.” “He had looked at several locations. I’ll let the FBI bring out all the details and prosecution as it goes through, but he had planned to carry out an act of terrorism,” Lankford said. “He had already bought the weapons and ammunition for it. He had already started the training process to carry it out.” The court documents also detail how federal agents agreed to meet with Tawhedi and his juvenile co-conspirator at a rural location to buy AK-47 rifles and ammunition. “The FBI and OKC Field Office, their quick, speedy and excellent work in this has been the difference in being able to save a lot of lives with it. We owe a lot of gratitude to them,” Lankford said. The senator, however, encouraged Oklahomans to remember that this does not reflect on the Afghan community in the state. “There are a lot of brave Afghans that fought against acts of terrorism in their country that are living as refugees in ours. So, this one Afghan is not a depiction of all Afghans that are in our state,” Lankford said. Authorities estimated Tawhedi has been in the U.S. since 2021.

Combatting misinformation in North Carolina [Video]
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Combatting misinformation in North Carolina [Video]

Misinformation about Federal Emergency Management Agency resources has taken over social media, worrying many residents in North Carolina who are still looking for aid. FEMA spokespeople said there is still plenty of money and agents to go around, even with Milton approaching Florida as a major hurricane.La-Tanga Hopes, a FEMA spokesperson for Western North Carolina, said rumors online make it difficult for FEMA to get families the help they need. She said misinformation isn’t helping with building trust in the community.”Funding has been made available for North Carolina, and they need not worry about Milton,” Hopes said. “There are some people that are going to take care of everything that’s happening with that new disaster.”FEMA does have a deadline of Nov. 27, 2024, for North Carolina Hurricane Helene applications, but as with other storms in the past, it could be extended. The agency announced the Boone recovery center will close on Oct. 12.One expert from the University of North Carolina says it is the shared responsibility of social media users, platforms and government agencies to squash misconceptions. “In the same way that there are those who are out intentionally trying to mislead people for political purposes, we have an opportunity and really an obligation to one another to make sure that our affected friends and neighbors do have reliable information,” said Meredith D. Clark, associate professor of race and political communication at UNC Hussman. Claim: FEMA will reallocate resources away from North Carolina to Florida or foreign efforts.Fact: FEMA said resources are not moving from Western North Carolina until claims are closed. Floridians impacted by Hurricane Milton will have their own FEMA agents to address their claims and allocate funding to them. Claim: FEMA will take away your home or property if you file a claim.Fact: “FEMA is not interested in your property other than helping you restore and rebuild it,” Hopes said. “FEMA is not an income driven agency, and what I mean by that is this: there is money being made available to you in the form of a cash grant.”FEMA said getting denied after submitting a claim may be the result of not providing enough documentation, and field agents may be able to connect families to resources to track the status of their report.Claim: FEMA is not helping on the ground.Fact: FEMA said they have crews across Western North Carolina. Tracey said FEMA, along with military operations, were authorized by the federal government to assist in search-and-rescue operations units and disaster survivor response teams. Temporary centers for assistance are being implemented in each county so residents can follow up on the status of their claims. Calling their hotline 1-800-621-3362 will get you connected to an agent and allow you to start your application for assistance if you haven’t already. Jann Tracey, a FEMA spokesperson in Avery County, said that, for those without internet, calling over the phone or speaking with an agent face-to-face is the best option.”Talking to somebody one-on-one is really helpful,” she said. “Rather than just talking to your neighbors and getting rumors and not getting after the information, that’s the ideal way.”Claim: FEMA is taking away food and donations from distribution sites.Fact: They said food and water resources delivered to distribution sites in many counties have been dropped off by FEMA resources. Just because someone working at distribution sites or fire stations is not wearing a FEMA polo shirt does not mean the work was not authorized by FEMA, Tracey said.Claim: FEMA is only giving residents $750 in aid and withholding funding from North Carolina.Fact: The initial funding you can request from FEMA is $750 for necessities, food and water, but that does not exclude you from getting more funding and submitting an application for aid. There is a cap on funding that FEMA can provide, but Hopes told us the agency will defer to state and other resources to provide aid until claims are closed, and that is not expected to happen soon. “They need to reassure people that withholding aid, especially on the basis of partisanship, isn’t a practice of the federal government,” said Clark. “And then, they need to provide people with a way to check honestly, verify, that what they are saying is true.”FEMA said it will never ask for money from disaster survivors and that you should report anyone trying to get you to pay for aid.