This report by The Heritage Foundation Emergency Preparedness Working Group lists its recommendations for preparing for and responding to natural disasters in the future, including: FEMA must no longer be made to respond to all manner of routine disasters, only major catastrophic ones. The National Guard and Coast Guard were more successful than FEMA; ensure… Read more
The lessons learned from Sandy are applied to strategies to mitigate both stormwater and possible sea level rise due to global warming. Strategies include storm surge barriers, as well as waterproof infrastructure and above-ground walkways between buildings. The federal government is criticized for delaying recovery funds through squabbling. New Yorkers are examining other strategies for… Read more
Influenced by lessons learned from the response to a similar tornado in Joplin, Missouri, the Moore Chamber of Commerce formed a private sector partnership with a local bank to facilitate community town hall meetings, providing vital recovery information to survivors; disseminating important and timely messages regarding aid; and offering tangible assistance to the community alongside… Read more
An EF-5 Tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, with damage estimated at up to $3 billion. Yet Joplin has seen a rapid recovery despite the extensive damage. The Joplin tornado provides an opportunity to determine if findings from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina apply to other major natural disasters. This study uses interviews… Read more
A collection of 13 reports on lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy related to health systems and services. The report’s first section includes and Executive Summary of each article. Common recommendations included filling gaps in planning, communication and coordination, more integrated systems, more practice and training between facilities, building in redundancies, clarifying authority, preparing for environmental… Read more
One week after Hurricane Sandy, the author recommends short-term and long-term preparations that can help reduce the impact of such disasters. Short-term preparation focuses on planning, early warning, and preparedness. Long-term preparation focuses primarily on strengthening building codes and infrastructure. The Lessons Learned From Hurricane Sandy
This fact brief summarizes information the Furman Center has gathered regarding the characteristics of properties in the areas of the city flooded by Sandy’s storm surge and demographic characteristics of households that have registered to receive assistance from FEMA. Findings are organized in 3 main sections: Extent of the Surge Impact of the Surge on… Read more
This paper outlines the major “Lessons Learned” by municipalities in responding to Superstorm Sandy. The report identifies what worked and what did not, focusing on three areas: providing basic services, meeting the needs of special populations, and allocating resources. It also identifies what needs attention and ways to build resilience before the next inevitable disaster.… Read more
OVERVIEW This research brief uses a dataset released by FEMA in August 2013 to examine the level of need and the response efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. This brief includes data related to FEMA inspections of those who registered for assistance and the amount that had been awarded to those with assessed damage.… Read more
Frequently-asked questions about the Stafford Act from the Public Risk Management Association. (PDF). Stafford Act
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