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
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
During disaster response and recovery, mass messaging allows the community to hear the same message at the same time. This not only helps reducing the burden on public information officers, it also prevents confusion and misinformation. Use these tips to help manage make your mass messages more effective. Have clear roles and responsibilities for creating and sending… Read more
Following a natural disaster, most communities want as much information as possible from FEMA; yet communicating with FEMA is often a new process for local officials. Use these tips to help communicate with FEMA during funding disbursement. FEMA Public Assistance Coordinators (PAC) can be used to inform localities about special considerations such as insurance, hazard mitigation opportunities,… Read more
Distribute checklists outlining documentation and program requirements to homeowners. Encourage homeowners to photograph any and all damage before repairs begin, in addition to writing a description of damages. Make homeowners aware of all long-term funding opportunities as they are made available, especially HUD’s Community Disaster Block Grant Recovery Program.
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
FEMA developed this guide to provide communities with a framework for structuring their own debris management plan or ensuring that their existing plan is consistent with FEMA’s eligibility criteria. This is part of FEMA’s efforts to encourage communities to take a proactive approach to creating and managing debris removal operations as part of their overall… Read more
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