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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 that both Guards receive the resources they need so these successes continue.
• State Defense Forces (state militias, etc.) offer low-cost force multipliers; accordingly, high-risk states should establish them and integrate them into their emergency management planning.
• States should have more responsibility for their own disaster response and recovery.
• Change the current American mindset of disaster response and relief from over-federalization to civil society. First responders waste vital time and resources taking care of those who could have taken care of themselves. Individuals must take action to prepare themselves and their families.
• Reduce and streamline regulations such as wage premiums and environmental regulations after a disaster to encourage investment and rebuilding.
• Restrict the items for which the federal gov­ernment can provide emergency funds post-disaster.
• For power systems, promote contingency planning and identify and implement cost-effective improvements to the power system. Rather than identify power system weaknesses as a way to punish utilities, reward those with superior performance with financial incentives.

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