Among the new measures the state is introducing are at least a half dozen mobile cooling centers made with shipping containers that are solar powered and can be moved to wherever they may be needed.
The White House said the recipients are "exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors."
Kenya, along with other parts of East Africa, has been overwhelmed by floods, with more than 150,000 displaced people living in camps across the country. The government has ordered people living near 178 dams and reservoirs that are either full or nearly full to evacuate or be forcefully moved.
The Rev. Rebecca Girrell of Vermont told fellow delegates that she regretted having initially declined a request to perform a same-sex marriage because of church rules. "I promised I would never betray my heart or my call to offer ministry and grace to all persons again," she said.