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'Disaster Declarations,' March 26, 2009, #187
Disaster Declarations
By Dr Dave McIntyre, Director Integrative Center for Homeland Security, 26 Mar 2009
Ever since the very public example of Hurricane Katrina, people have asked after every disaster, “Why can’t FEMA get started more quickly?” Well I will share the answer, if you will give me Just a Minute for Homeland Security.
I’m Dave McIntyre, Director of the Integrative Center for Homeland Security at Texas A&M.
The Federal response to emergencies and disasters is guided by the Stafford Act. Passed in 1988, it grants the President alone the authority to issue an “Emergency Declaration” BEFORE an event, releasing aid to protect property, public health and safety, and reduce the threat that an incident will become a disaster. AFTER an event, the President alone can release a “Disaster Declaration,” providing broader assistance to states, local governments, families and individuals. In both cases, FEMA oversees most of this aid.
And in both cases, the actual response is very public and easily tracked. However, the basis for the decision to declare a disaster – now averaging once a week – is not so evident. Recently the Congressional Research Service released a report to clarify. [1]
At its core, the process is designed to ensure that the President sends resources to a governor, only when a problem is “beyond the capabilities of the state.” Key to this decision is a “Preliminary Damage Assessment,” created by a state team before a disaster, or by a federal team after an event.
These teams make rapid damage calculations, usually based on actual visits, and the degree of damage observed. In deciding to provide federal Public Assistance to rebuild critical infrastructure for localities, they consider the local impact of damage, insurance coverage, mitigation efforts, other recent disasters, and the estimated cost. Only when the overall cost reaches $1.22 for every person in a state, or $3.05 per person in a county, does FEMA approve a request for help. Requests to begin federal Individual Assistance are reviewed in light of the concentration of damage, availability of insurance, special trauma, and volunteer efforts. In both cases, a primary consideration is whether states and localities have made major efforts on their own before calling for federal assistance.
Not every one agrees with this priority, and there is movement in Congress to make federal funding more automatic, reducing the pressure for state and local officials, and citizens, to spend more time, effort and expense on their own preparation and recovery. But before changing the rules, our leaders would do well to understand them. The new CRS report is a good place to start. You can find it in our data base at http://homelandsecurity.tamu.edu.
This is Dave McIntyre, Director of the Integrative Center for Homeland Security at Texas A&M, inviting you to join us again next week on Just a Minute . . . for Homeland Security.
[1] Francis McCarthy, “FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process: A Primer,” Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, January 23, 2009. http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34146_20090123.pdf