The White House says the federal government has approved nearly $2 billion in assistance across six states to help people hit hard by hurricanes Helene and Milton.

President Joe Biden’s administration warned Floridians on Saturday that it was time to prepare for the next hurricane.

Vice President Kamala Harris will tour damage caused by Helene in Georgia and North Carolina, as the devastating and deadly storm has also roiled the political calendar just over a month from Election Day.

Don't be alarmed by the sound you will hear coming from your mobile phone on Wednesday afternoon. It's only a test.

There is still much to be done for residents and business owners affected by the historic Fort Lauderdale flooding.

Fort Lauderdale commissioners shut down an idea presented by Mayor Dean Trantalis to provide up to $5,000 to people dealing with the aftermath of last month’s flooding.

Disaster Recovery Centers in Florida will close temporarily this week as a precaution for predicted severe weather.

Sen. Marco Rubio continues to hold a lead over Rep. Val Demings, according to a Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy poll released on Tuesday.

Hurricane Fiona’s impact was the focus of discussion with FEMA as President Joe Biden was briefed about the ongoing federal government response on Thursday.

For the first time in four days, neither weather nor fires have hampered the search and rescue mission underway at 88th Collins at the side of the collapsed condo.

President Joe Biden announced on Monday that he is doubling the funding to prepare for this Atlantic hurricane season and establishing a program to track climate change and its impact.

Vaccination supply and logistics are part of an unprecedented new normal for Florida's Division of Emergency Management.

The sites for COVID-19 vaccinations seem to be slowing down in South Florida and experts suggest that those who are vaccine hesitant need to be targeted.

The federally funded COVID-19 vaccine site at Miami Dade College’s north campus will again offer first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Florida residents after Johnson & Johnson shots were paused.

Starting Monday, the Hard Rock Stadium vaccination site will no longer require appointments.

Despite the high demand, a representative from the FEMA-supported vaccination site at Miami Dade College’s North Campus says he believes there will be enough COVID-19 vaccines for everyone who shows up Wednesday.

It’s the day we’ve been waiting more than a year for. All adults in Florida are now able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at distribution sites across the state, and officials were bracing Monday morning for what was sure to be a massive turnout.

Expecting a rush Monday when the eligibility drops, officials at the FEMA MDC North Campus site are telling those with appointments for a second dose to arrive late.

Vaccination sites are gearing up for Monday's eligibility, which allows anyone 18 years or older to get a COVID vaccine.

A spokesperson said sites should have 400 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and closing times could be earlier if the daily allotment is exhausted.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Eligibility is expanding for the COVID-19 vaccine, with another age drop taking effect on Monday. At 10:38 a.m. Sunday, Seadell Roundtree received the 100,000th vaccine at the FEMA-supported vaccination site at Miami Dade College’s North Campus. “But now, we can be as a family again.”On Monday, any Floridian over the age of 40 can receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and one week after that, more adults will be eligible. Ron DeSantis made the long-awaited announcement on Thursday, marking an end to the days of patchwork eligibility rules that varied across different sites. “All adults in the state 18 and over will be eligible for the vaccine Monday, April 5,” DeSantis said earlier this week.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – There is now a larger window of opportunity for people to come get their first doses at Miami Dade College’s North Campus. “Which is good news for folks that are in that 50 and over age group that can come out and get the vaccine,” Florida Division of Emergency Management spokesman Mike Jachles said. Yesterday, over 5,700 doses (were) given for first and a mixture of second shots,” said Miami Dade College North Campus site lead Bruce Roberts. But starting Wednesday, the daily vaccine allotment at Miami Dade College’s North Campus will drop from 3,000 to just 500. Vaccines will continue to be distributed at Miami Dade College’s North Campus until 7 p.m.

Starting Monday, March 22, Miami-Dade County vaccine sites will begin vaccinating people 50 & older. Age eligibility will expand to those 40+ on March 29, lowering the age by 10 years each week. Orange County is lowering their age requirement to 40+ beginning next Monday. AdTuesday will also mark the start of the beginning of second dose vaccines at the FEMA-supported sites for those who need it. This operation may be extended based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, increased vaccine allocations and resource availability.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Eligibility is expanding for law enforcement, firefighters and school personnel at Miami-Dade County-run vaccination sites. “The next two or three weeks we are not anticipating any new J&J.”In Miami-Dade County, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava expanded the vaccine eligibility at three county-run sites. “I’m fighting so hard now to open eligibility to more and more people,” Levine Cava said. At the federal vaccination sites, its over 50 for police and fire but 18 and over for Pre-K-to-12 school employees. “You see I’m wearing green, definitely my lucky day to get the vaccine and I feel great,” said Levine Cava.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The two FEMA-supported, state-run COVID-19 vaccine satellite sites will move to Charles Hadley Park and the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center on Thursday, officials revealed. The last day at current satellite locations in North Miami Beach and Miami Springs is Wednesday (March 17), closing at 5 p.m. The satellite sites are expected to return to previous locations to administer second doses. ALSO SEE: Who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida? For more information on COVID-19 vaccines in Florida, click here.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Lines were long Thursday at the new FEMA-supported, state-run COVID-19 vaccination satellite site at Allen Park Community Center in North Miami Beach. It’s one of two new walk-up sites that opened Thursday, along with one at the Miami Springs Community Center. The need is there,” said North Miami Beach Mayor Anthony F. DeFillipo. On Thursday, staff members screened people to make sure they were eligible for the shot at the FEMA-supported sites in Miami-Dade County. But satellite sites are intended to move around every week or so to allow different parts of the community to have access to vaccines.

U.S. Army medic Kristen Rogers of Waxhaw, N.C. fills syringes with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in North Miami, Fla. FEMA opened four mass vaccinations sites in Florida capable of vaccinating up to 3,000 people a day, seven days a week. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

Davalos said he doesn’t have an underlying health condition. He was asked if he had a doctor’s note but said he didn’t. AdThe couple was at the vaccine site Tuesday with their daughter, who turns 15 months old Wednesday. “We thought if they ask for the doctor’s note we will go back home, but we wanted to take the risk because we think it is worth it,” Lopez said. AdOn Monday, the Jackson Health System separately announced that it would expand access to vaccines and not require documentation for people who affirm they have a high-risk condition.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Two new FEMA-supported satellite COVID-19 vaccine locations opened Thursday in Miami-Dade County. AdThe satellite sites are intended to move around to allow different parts of the community to have access to vaccines. The Miami Dade College North Campus site (11380 NW 27th Ave.) will remain open as the main FEMA-supported hub in South Florida. The FEMA sites are among the locations that are vaccinating Floridians under 65 who are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. AdMore CVS vaccine locations comingIn other vaccine news, Gov.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Democratic U.S. representatives from Florida weighed in Monday morning on the vaccination effort in the Sunshine State. U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said she’s impressed by the FEMA-supported site in northwest Miami-Dade. “I know I saw it myself this weekend at the Miami vaccination site. For starters, officials there acknowledge in a transparent way where we are failing right now to reach underserved and vulnerable communities, especially communities of color,” Wasserman Schultz said. But there was also confusion over the weekend at the FEMA-supported satellite site in Florida City.

FLORIDA CITY, Fla. – On Saturday, anyone who showed up that was 18 or over with a doctor’s note or not, and who did or didn’t meet eligibility requirements were able to get a COVID-19 shot at a FEMA site in Florida City. Word spread quickly on social media about the shots-for-all in Florida City, prompting lines of people on Sunday hoping to get a shot at the Youth Activity Center. In fact, operators at the FEMA site reverted back to the governor’s order as soon as the site reopened Sunday morning. Florida City police were on hand for crowd control and to help get the message across. The back-and-forth at the Florida City site prompted Miami-Dade’s mayor to issue a tweet aimed at the governor urging him to expand the eligibility requirements.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to move along in South Florida. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz made a stop Saturday at a vaccination site at Miami Dade College’s North Campus. “We’ve all been through a year of hell,” Wasserman Schultz said. “It’s just been absolutely amazing to see the relief of the people who are coming through here.”Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava encouraged everyone who’s eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Find out who is available for a COVID-19 vaccine currently.

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – One of the newest groups eligible in Florida to receive a COVID-19 vaccine are those 18 or older deemed by a physician to have a high-risk medical condition. Ron DeSantis expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in Florida last Friday signing an executive order that allowed doctors the authority to be able to determine who is extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. On Friday, there was a steady flow of people all day at the FEMA site at Miami-Dade College’s North Campus. Even with expanded eligibility (rules in previous tweet in thread 👇) the federal vaccination site has yet to hit its daily dose capacity. As of 4 p.m. on Friday, however, officials at the large FEMA site said that they had only distributed a little more than half of their 3,000 doses.

A look at the statewide positivity rate for new COVID-19 cases across Florida over the past two weeks. (Florida Department of Health)

More Floridians are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Here is what you need to know about whether you can get a dose.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Friday marks day three for vaccinations at Miami Dade College’s North Campus, and local elected leaders visited the FEMA-supported and state-run site later in the morning. “We are now getting this vaccine into more arms,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. The site vaccinated 2,800 people on Thursday, along with a combined 434 people at its satellite sites in Sweetwater and Florida City. “Excited, extremely excited,” Miami-Dade County Public Schools Transportation employee Ann Killy said. MORE RESOURCES:Here’s the form to prove COVID-19 vulnerability to get a shot in FloridaHow to get coronavirus vaccines in Miami-Dade CountyWhere are the Broward County COVID-19 vaccination sites?

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – Exuberance from Miami-Dade County Public School workers who showed up Thursday afternoon at the Miami-Dade College’s North Campus, the site of FEMA supported, state-run vaccination sites. For Pre K to 12 school employees 50-years-of-age or older, state planners say you can go to any state-run vaccine site. If you are a school employee between the ages of 18- to 49-years-old, you can only go to the FEMA supported, state-run vaccination sites, which includes the main hub at Miami-Dade North Campus. Employees who want a vaccination must show a school identification, according to state planners. A rule goes into effect on Friday that only those with the proper forms will be able to get the vaccine.

MIAMI, Fla. – Some people showing up with doctor’s notes on Thursday were able to get a vaccination at the state-run FEMA sites, but starting Friday, they will be turned away. Ron DeSantis expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in Florida on Friday signing an executive order that now allows doctors be able to determine who is extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. A rule goes into effect on Friday that only those with the proper forms will be able to get the vaccine. Those recipients will only be accepted at the FEMA sites. Miami Dade College’s North Campus has a FEMA site set up where they can administer 3,000 COVID-19 shots per day.

Florida’s health department reported 6,118 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, along with 120 more state resident deaths as a result of the virus. The state has now verified 1,930,232 COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began and 31,387 resident deaths, according to the latest health department data. According to the CDC, over 600 cases of COVID-19 variants have been verified in Florida, most of any state. A look at the statewide positivity rate for new COVID-19 cases across Florida over the past two weeks. The United States has confirmed over 28.7 million cases and has had more than 518,000 deaths from COVID-19, the highest totals in the world.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami Dade College’s North Campus is now home to a massive vaccination site run by the state and supported by FEMA. More than 2,000 doses will be administered there per day, 500 of which will be the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine. AdThe U.S. Army is prepared to administer 2,500 Pfizer doses and 500 Johnson & Johnson doses daily. Both are offering 500 doses daily and are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Ad“(The) Jackson Health System has vaccinated over 97,000 members of the community,” Jackson Health System CEO Carlos Migoya said.

It marked the first annual contraction for the country’s economy since 1998, when it was in the midst of a crippling financial crisis. In comparison, the federal government previously said 38% of people would receive two doses by the end of June. Still, that’s 700,000 doses on hand, when the state is getting 200,000 doses this week, rising to 223,000 next week. AdBharat Biotech has already signed an agreement with Brazil to supply 20 million doses of the vaccine by September. ___COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s mask mandate will continue until a “critical mass” has been reached of people who have received the coronavirus vaccine, a spokesperson for Ohio Gov.

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a briefing about the upcoming presidential inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, at FEMA headquarters, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden has confidence in FBI Director Chris Wray and plans to keep him in the job, the White House press secretary said Thursday. FBI directors are given 10-year terms, meaning leadership of the bureau is generally unaffected by changes in presidential administrations. But Biden's spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, was notably noncommittal when asked at her first briefing Wednesday whether Biden had confidence in Wray. "I have not spoken with him about specifically FBI Director Wray in recent days," Psaki said.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)WASHINGTON – The FBI is tracking an “extensive amount of concerning online chatter,” including calls for armed protests leading up to next week's presidential inauguration, Director Chris Wray said Thursday. Wray said the FBI was receiving a “significant” amount of information that it was pushing out to other law enforcement agencies ahead of the inauguration. States nationwide have already been stepping up security in preparation for possible armed protests and violence this weekend, particularly at statehouses amid legislative sessions and inaugural ceremonies. An FBI bulletin earlier this week warned of potential armed protests in all 50 states. The vice president visited with guard troops keeping watch outside the Capitol, telling them he’s familiar with the National Guard because he used to be a governor.

Bryan and Luke Dorris talk with former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate about managing hurricanes and other disasters, including COVID-19, his time in Florida dealing with the monumental hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, and lessons for dealing with hurricanes in the future. SUBSCRIBE to The Bryan Norcross Podcast - iTunes | AndroidYou can also watch a video version of this week’s podcast below:

As officials continue to assess the damage, Trump plans to close the Republican National Convention with a speech at the White House’s South Lawn. All rights reserved)Trump will follow on Vice President Mike Pence’s Wednesday speech, which was critical of former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee. It will also follow attacks by Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. All rights reserved)During a news conference at the Capitol to discuss the coronavirus aid package, Pelosi said she doesn’t want Biden to debate Trump. She said it’s because when confronted by Biden Trump will “act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency.”Pelosi also joined Biden and Harris in criticizing Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

MIAMI – Medical professionals from both the Florida Army National Guard and the Florida Air National Guard responded to a Sunday call to join a special task force. The Florida National Guard’s task force focused on Broward County where the Florida Department of Health reported the largest COVID-19 cluster in the state. For federal and state officials, the COVID-19 fight includes setting up drive-through testing sites, and dealing with the logistics of distributing gear for medical professionals. The National Guard is already planning for distributions of items such as surgical masks and N95 respirators, the masks The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health approves to filter out at least 95% of airborne particles. The Florida National Guard is also preparing to adapt to emergency powers from FEMA, a Department of Homeland Security agency.

"Our goal is always to be the last to close, first to open," Waffle House public relations director Pat Warner told CNN. The hungry history of the Waffle House IndexFormer FEMA administrator Craig Fugate told CNN the Waffle House Index was born out of coincidence, hunger and necessity. The further south they drove, the more open Waffle House locations they found while other businesses were dark. So they codified it--and the Waffle House Index was invented. Waffle House plans to roll with Dorian's punchesTo determine whether shops should fire up the waffle irons or not is tricky.

Fire departments from California are being deployed by FEMA to help with Hurricane Dorian-related rescues in Charlotte, N.C. Distributed by LAKANA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.