Has been there 27 major disaster announcements Till now in 2025, it has been released by President Trump. Disasters have size and scope, La wildfire Midwest Tornado and Texas flood Also many winter storms. Many of them have resulted in deadly and billions of dollars in damage to property and businesses, but a major fatal weather incident in June has not been declared: a extreme summer wave.
Between June 20–24, a heat dome, or the presence of high heat on a region that performs the penis for the extended period of time, exposes about half of the country dangerously for high temperatures. On 24 June, Seven states tied or broken the monthly high temperature recordMore than several triple digits. One of those states, Maryland reported During the time 472 people required medical help for heat -related diseases when the heat index at some places was at the top of 110 degrees. But there is no disaster declaration for the event listed on FEMA website.
This is because extreme heat is not considered a “disaster” which is eligible for federal wealth, according to it Stafford ActWhich is the guiding law that the President can declare disasters and direct the federal emergency management agency to provide assistance to the state and local governments.
Now, three Democratic MPs are trying to change it. With Nevada Senator Jackie Rosen and Arizona’s Ruben Galgo, Texas’s Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, a law has been proposed to classify extreme heat as a disaster, allowing federal funds to flow into areas where warm temperature causes significant physical and economic crisis. Republican rape. Mike Lallor of New York has signed as a co-producer.
“Last year, more than 500 people died of heat -related diseases in a single county in Nevada,” Rosen said in a statement, “Current federal policy ignores physical and health risks that are at such high temperatures on our communities, which is why I am offering a bill to change it. By classifying extreme heat as a major disaster, our communities will be able to answer and get the necessary federal funding to respond to the extreme heat phenomena of the future.”
This is not the first time Russain has proposed the law. He introduced an introduction Similar bill In 2024, which was quickly passed through the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee before being blocked by the Senate Republican.
Under the Stafford Act, 16 types of natural disasters are listed, “any storm, tornado, storm, flood, high water, windmill water, tide, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes eruptions, landslides, mudslides, snowfall, drought, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, “This does not clearly list excessive heat.
In a statement, Galgo said that more Americans are hit by excessive heat compared to any other form of extreme season, which is jointly jointly. National weather serviceHe said, “By adding excessive heat to the list of major disasters, we can unlock funds and support strict requirement to our communities,” he said.
According to Rosen’s office, the declaration of extreme heat will declare a large disaster, which will enable states and local governments to request federal funds, which can provide additional cooling centers, communities that require it, money for infrastructure projects, as well as a mechanism where community can request money for heat adaptation projects, such as more trees, or urban heat to reduce the rose Can build structure.
But there are some who do not agree that it is necessary to add excessive heat to the Stafford Act.
Former FEMA administrator Dean Criswell under President Biden says, “It is already eligible under the Stafford Act,” there is nothing that excludes a governor from requesting the announcement for extreme heat. ,
Is minimized Last time three times When a governor requested a major disaster declaration for excessive heat: by the Governor of Missouri in 1980; In 1995, when Illinois Governor requested it on a summer wave Killed more than 700 peopleAnd recently in 2022, when California village Gavin Newsome requested a major disaster declaration for a heat dome and a resulting wildfire. In all examples, the requests were rejected by the President sitting at that time.
According to Chriswell, the Stafford Act is designed to pay for the infrastructure effects caused by a natural disaster, but most resources may require a state for excessive heat – such as cooling centers, tree shades and air conditioning – are the things that can be addressed before excessive heat phenomenon through the existing hegrad mitigation grant.
“Do you have a damaged infrastructure from excessive heat conditions?” Chriswell told CBS News, “You may have electricity issues, but is it damaged or is it only a temporary situation because due to overload on it?”
While Chriswell does not require excessive heat to be added to the Staford Act to qualify for disaster funding, she believes that there is a need to emphasize dangerous mitigation projects and funding, which are those which are those. Under cut Under Trump Administration.
“This administration is not providing dangerous mitigation grant programs for these disaster announcements,” says Chriswell. The argument behind this, she says, because the mitigation of the mitigation given in the previous disaster announcements has not been used.
The White House has not commented on excessive heat being added as a disaster risk, and President Trump has focused on overhalling FEMA and transferring the states to the states.
Professional Safety and Health Administration recently concluded A series of public hearing As it argues whether indoor and external workers are to establish the first federal rules to protect them from the heat, which will provide the brakes, water and shade paid to employers.
This rule has faced criticism from commercial groups including the US Chamber of Commerce, which says Rules “will implement unfair burden“Trade groups have supported efforts in some Republican -led states, such as Florida and Texas, to prevent local municipalities from passing the heat conservation rules for workers.
Despite the pushback, seven states – Washington, Oregan, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota and Maryland – have adopted independent heat protection rules for workers, but have become a difficult battle for Democrats, the important federal law, important federal laws, important federal laws, to address extreme heat in workplace and for disaster announcements.
