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
Frequently-asked questions about the Stafford Act from the Public Risk Management Association. (PDF). Stafford Act
The Federal Emergency Management Agency: FEMA
The Stafford Act constitutes the statutory authority for most federal disaster response activities especially as they pertain to FEMA and FEMA programs. In response to the to the evolving demands for federal disaster assistance, Congress has passed legislation to amend the Stafford Act to improve the role of the federal government in disaster assistance. Pre-1950… Read more
Immediately after disaster strikes, localities must quickly pull together disaster recovery teams and find funding for recovery efforts. Although any natural disaster can be devastating, community leaders can take a few strategic steps at the very start of post-disaster response to set the community up for immediate and long-term recovery success, allowing them to rebuild stronger… Read more
Disaster recovery can be a long, drawn-out process that takes a toll not only the community members, but also on local governments that have to provide routine services while also working to rebuild and restore the community. When disaster recovery exceeds the capacity of a local governments’ staffing capabilities and skillsets, consulting with a small,… Read more
Throughout the disaster recovery process, local governments must ensure that all communications efforts send a consistent, accurate message to citizens, the media, vendors, the business community, volunteers and internal departments. This is much more easily managed with a single point of contact for communications. This contact will typically be the designated Public Information Officer (PIO),… Read more
Grantees must ensure that they are following proper documentation and program requirements in order to ensure that they are compliant with the CDBG-DR program. Yet this can be easier said than done. Staff managing the recovery process can be overwhelmed with additional work. Follow these tips to make sure that your program is able to… Read more
Following a disaster, public information officers, and local leaders, officials and staff will need to communicate with homeowners about FEMA Individual Assistance (IA). Homeowners can apply for assistance in recovering from a disaster through the FEMA IA program. First, let homeowners know about the availability of FEMA Individual Assistance. Following a disaster declaration, homeowners… Read more
Flood insurance premiums are expected to skyrocket as the frequency and severity of flooding events across the nation continue to rise. Although communities can’t control rising rates, county administrators can be proactive by enrolling their counties in the – a program that reduces flood insurance premiums for communities who exceed NFIP’s minimum requirements. The process… Read more
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