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Sens. Tom Coburn and James Inhofe have become the faces of pushback on federal emergency spending. Now the deadly and devastating tornado in their home state has put them in an awkward position.

Flood maps for the state are old and don't include flooding from fast-rising rivers and streams, the kind of flooding that tore up Vermont during Tropical Storm Irene. Because of that, some areas don't qualify for FEMA assistance.

Besides disaster assistance, FEMA also oversees the creation of flood maps, which are then used to set building codes and flood insurance rates. Superstorm Sandy struck as FEMA was updating those maps, and now some homeowners looking to rebuild face an expensive choice.

It wasn't insurance or federal relief that brought Coney Island back to life. It was something much smaller and closer to home.

In Charlotte, N.C., a secret bunker rests quietly below a radio station. Built in 1963, it was part of a federal network designed to provide emergency communications in case of a nuclear attack. With a new slew of potential threats to contend with, FEMA has revived the idea.

Houses of worship are still trying to recover from the damage done by the superstorm last fall. The government has encouraged them to apply for aid, but it's not clear whether they'll qualify. For some, even disaster relief would break down the boundary between "church and state."

The American College of Emergency Physicians and FEMA are hoping to teach children what to do before, during, and after disasters using their online game, Disaster Hero.

The Obama administration is expected to ask for $50 billion to $60 billion. Top administrators told Congress Wednesday that they want at least some of that money to go toward preventing the kind of devastation caused by Sandy and other recent storms.

As the recovery from Hurricane Sandy continues, states are making more requests for federal aid. New York alone wants $30 billion in assistance. The requests come as Congress is already consumed with reducing the deficit.

DeQuan Franklin says in all his time living in New York they've never seen anything like this — even after Hurricane Irene.