U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has pledged to start paying out tens of billions in aid to victims of Hurricane Helene later this month. But delays are already making it hard this year for some farmers to plant crops.

The Next Generation 911 system would include technology used to improve response times.

Georgia's state Senate wants to boost spending on Hurricane Helene relief even more, including creating a grant program that could provide aid to individuals. The state Senate voted 55-1 Wednesday to amend Georgia's current state budget running through June 30.

On the Monday, Dec. 23 edition of Georgia Today: Billions of dollars are headed for Hurricane Helene relief; the post office in Plains, Ga., will soon have a new name; and two iconic Christmas classics can be traced back to Savannah. 

The helicopter evacuation of 70 people from a Tennessee hospital during Hurricane Helene is considered a success story. The building was destroyed by floodwaters, but no one died. In hindsight, why was it built next to a river?

To move on to long-term recovery, communities affected by recent hurricanes will need further support from the state and federal government.

Today on Legislative Huddle: Morning Edition host Pamela Kirkland talks to Lawmakers' Donna Lowry about Hurricane Helene's devastating impact on Georgia, and what lawmakers are doing to provide relief to their neighbors.

Nearly a month after Hurricane Helene ripped through south and east Georgia, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it's distributed some $159 million in disaster assistance to hundreds of thousands of people.

A federal judge won't order the state of Georgia to reopen voter registration for November's elections in the presidential battleground state. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross came after a hearing Thursday.

High winds from Hurricane Milton tore off the fiberglass roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

On the Thursday, Oct. 10 edition of Georgia Today: Congress is working on disaster relief for farmers; More Georgia counties have been added to FEMA's list of major disaster areas; The Carter Center celebrates World Mental Health Day today.

People leaving Florida to avoid Hurricane Milton can find a place in Georgia to stay by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or downloading a smartphone app. Pet owners can call ahead to centers or search GEMA's list of pet friendly hotels. 

As of Tuesday morning, Hurricane Milton was just over 500 miles southwest of Tampa, Fla, and expected to make landfall late Wednesday night.

What might sound like silly logic has become one of the most reliable ways for Southerners and even federal officials to gauge a storm's severity and identify communities most in need of immediate aid. The Waffle House Index was created by a federal emergency management official and is still used today.

On Tuesday in Macon, families made their way to the center of the state — and hoped the best for the Florida communities they left behind.