The Recovery Brief: Week of September 21, 2026
Independent analysis, not official FEMA guidance. About this briefing.
The week in FEMA Public Assistance, September 21 to September 27, 2026: 1 new declaration, 1 oversight item, 3 recovery stories. Each item opens here in full, with a link to the primary document. Live declarations with designated counties are on our Active Disasters board. Declared in your state? Start a conversation.
New declarations
- Hawaii: Emergency declared for Tropical Storm Nolo (EM-3654)
Public Assistance authorized for Hawaii. Incident type: Tropical Storm. Incident began September 23, 2026. Organizations in the affected area should confirm the designated counties and the Request for Public Assistance deadline. (Sep 25)
Compliance, oversight and appeals
- FEMA: Billions in Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Subgrants Remain Unawarded
As of March 2025, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded 1,245 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) subgrants to… (Sep 24)
Recovery news
- FEMA Mobilizes to Support East Coast States in Response to Nor’easter
Regional Response Coordination Centers activated as storm threatens coastal flooding and power outagesWASHINGTON – FEMA and DHS are closely coordinating with state, local and tribal partners in response to the… (Sep 26) - 5 States Receive $47M From FEMA for Emergency Responders
The Federal Emergency Management Agency distributed the money through three fire grant programs to support firefighters and first responders in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. (Sep 25) - N.M. Company Aims to Use AI for Water, Flooding Predictions
Supported by nearly $5 million in federal dollars, the project will explore how AI can help researchers work with complex data and improve predictions into interactions among surface water, groundwater and the… (Sep 21)
McGee Disaster Consulting Group works with local governments, school districts, hospitals, and private nonprofits on FEMA Public Assistance, from declaration through closeout. We prepare each submission and send it to the organization for review and approval. See how we work.
About this briefing: The Recovery Brief provides independent analysis and general educational information, not official FEMA guidance, legal advice, or a funding determination. Information reflects our understanding as of the publication date and should be verified against current primary sources before action is taken. Recovery Brief Editorial Disclaimer
Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), OpenFEMA Datasets: Disaster Declarations Summaries, v2 (fema.gov) and Public Assistance Funded Projects Details, v2 (fema.gov), retrieved September 28, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency’s website(s). Totals are calculated by McGee Disaster Consulting Group.