Photo: Satellite image of Tropical Storm Melissa at 7 a.m. EDT, Oct. 23, 2025. Image courtesy of NOAA/CIRA

Plus, new disaster declarations

Welcome back to This Week in Disasters! This newsletter combines expert perspectives with a weekly roundup of upcoming threats, recent natural disasters, and available survivor assistance. If you’re an HR, Risk, Employee Assistance, or Emergency Management professional (or you’re just really curious about disasters in the United States!) you’re in the right place.

Major Disasters of the Last Week

Photo: Reporting by Eric Stone for Alaska Public Media, via KYUK Media

Forecasted Risks for Next Week

Tropical Storm Melissa expected to bring rain, flooding, and strong winds across Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands later this week. Significant strengthening expected late Friday or over the weekend, forecasted to become a Hurricane and posing major threat to Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti. Some models predict it hitting the mid-Atlantic.

An atmospheric river is forecasted to bring heavy rain to the Pacific Northwest

Freeze warnings and frost advisories stretch across the United States. Some warnings were active Thursday, Oct. 23, while others were set to begin Friday, Oct. 24

Disasters in the Headlines

Evacuating Remote Alaska Was Hard. Rebuilding Will Be Even Harder

Inside Climate News

Billion-dollar disaster data returns, but this time it's not being run by the federal government

ABC News

You can walk faster than Tropical Storm Melissa is moving. It’s a new, troubling tendency for Atlantic storms

CNN

Disaster Relief Fund Hits Critical Low as Shutdown Endures

Insurance Journal

PRO PERSPECTIVE

Former FEMA Administrator and Bright Harbor's President Pete Gaynor's Perspective on FEMA Administrative

FEMA is not going away, nor should it. The agency’s mission and capability remain unmatched, and the nation depends on it

States and local governments must take greater responsibility for managing disaster risk. Too many communities still rely on FEMA to rebuild what should have been insured. That’s unsustainable. The federal government needs strong partners who invest in resilience, not dependence. States should lead by funding insurance, strengthening building codes, enforcing smarter land use, and increasing their capacity to respond and recover.

All eyes are on the President’s FEMA Review Council. Once its report is released, its recommendations could set the course for the next generation of recovery policy.

“Reducing risk is not Washington’s job alone — it’s everyone’s.”

Looking Ahead

FEMA will remain central while building stronger partnerships across all levels of government. The proposed FEMA Act of 2025 could elevate the agency, streamline funding, and accelerate recovery timelines. Streamlined aid, stronger mitigation, and greater state flexibility can cut costs and build resilience

In Washington, certainty may be elusive, but one thing is clear: reform is coming, and it’s an opportunity to reduce complexity and build on the strengths that make FEMA indispensable.

Active Federal Major Disasters

There is usually a 60 day window to apply for help after a disaster is declared.  The following disasters are still actively taking applications from survivors for financial support.

The following disasters are actively taking applications from survivors for financial support. To apply, survivors can visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800‑621‑3362.

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