Emily Cochrane

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Patricia Mazzei |Judson Jones |Christopher Flavelle |Emily Cochrane |Jennifer Reed

President Trump's efforts to downsize the government threaten essential functions that Americans have come to rely on before, during and after natural disasters. States and cities along ​t​he Atlantic and Gulf coasts are ​heading into hurricane season​ with an extraordinary level of uncertainty, unable to ​g​auge how significant cuts at vital federal agencies will affect weather forecasts, emergency response and long-term recovery.

2 weeks ago | spokesman.com | Jenna Fisher |Emily Cochrane |Amy Graff

ST. LOUIS — The call came late Friday to the Rev. Derrick Perkins: Three people were trapped in the Centennial Christian Church in St. Louis after a tornado had toppled part of its steeple, leaving it in dusty piles of bricks and stones. A signal from one person’s cellphone helped Perkins and emergency workers find those trapped inside. But one of the people, a beloved longtime ministry leader, was killed, Perkins said. “I was in disbelief — heartbroken,” he said, holding back tears.

2 weeks ago | sacbee.com | Jenna Fisher |Emily Cochrane |Isabella Kwai

EDITORS NOTE: EDS: SUBS for a complete writethru to update and expand; SUBS headline and byline.); (Attn: Ky., Mich., Mo., Tenn., TexasST. LOUIS -- Holly Lammert had been working on a papier-mâché sculpture in the backyard of her St. Louis home when tornado sirens rang out. Before she could get her 10-year-old daughter into the basement, the winds began.

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Jenna Fisher |Emily Cochrane |Amy Graff |Corinne Boyer

Tornadoes whipping through Missouri and Kentucky on Friday killed at least 16 people and injured dozens of others, local authorities said. At least nine people were killed late Friday after a tornado hit Laurel County, Ky., about 150 miles southeast of Louisville, the county sheriff's office said, adding that other people had suffered severe injuries. Emergency and rescue workers were searching the damaged area for survivors, the office said.

3 weeks ago | ourcommunitynow.com | Emily Cochrane

Share Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed a bill into law on Thursday that bans the addition of fluoride to public water supplies, making Florida the second state to prohibit the widespread public health practice.Studies show a clear correlation between fluoridated drinking water and improved oral health, including fewer dental cavities.