Orange County, Texas, offers an insightful example of the types of staffing considerations localities experience during a disaster. The county was faced with a unique natural disaster situation in March of 2016 when the nearby Sabine River reached record-level highs, forcing operators at the Toledo Bend Dam to release water at an accelerated rate, flooding… Read more
Housing cooperatives and other planned communities present their own challenges during the post-disaster recovery process. A single apartment block might yield more opinions and challenges than an entire small town. Add in the profusion of city, state and national ordinances and regulations that the process must meet, and the task can quickly become unmanageable. Yet… Read more
At the end of post-disaster response, many communities start to feel abandoned – their FEMA representative leaves and it often seems like funding options are diminishing. Communities often find themselves asking the question, “What do we do now?” During this period of transition, a long-term recovery group (LTRG) can play an integral role in keeping… Read more
Throughout a disaster, send messages through local media and post messages on social media that let volunteers know: When they’re needed and what they’re needed for. Where to go at the disaster site. When it’s safe for them to arrive at the disaster site. Be clear about when help is needed and when to… Read more
Volunteer Reception Center Use a Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) to create a location designated for volunteer management. Be sure to prepare ahead of time to quickly implement the VRC by identifying multiple locations for the center, assigning leadership roles and preparing key documents like, sign-in and sign-out sheets and VRC setup instructions. Volunteer Credentialing… Read more
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and its offshoot discount incentive program, the Community Rating System (CRS), help communities get back on their feet in the wake of flooding incidents by providing affordable insurance to property owners and encouraging communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations. The program, managed by the Federal Emergency Management… Read more
Mutual aid agreements and other types of assistance agreements facilitate the rapid sharing of emergency aid and resources among governments and organizations at all levels. These can involve pre-existing agreements like the or may require the creation of new instruments to address emerging events or parties outside of existing compacts. Depending on the nature and… Read more
The Synergy of Structure and Good Intentions When disaster – natural or man-made – strikes a community, specific emergency management and nonprofit organizations automatically respond according to a pre-established plan. Each of these designated organizations has a specific role to play in ensuring an effective response to and recovery from the disaster’s devastation. Yet one… Read more
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