This guidebook, developed by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), provides a six-step planning process for local governments to incorporate resilience planning and implementation into their long- and short- term recovery plans. The guide offers a “practical approach” for localities to address the challenges of resilience planning, unifying disaster risk management, emergency response… Read more
This two-part analysis, conducted by the Virginia Coastal Policy Center at the College of William & Mary Law School, predicts that sea level rise will “significantly exacerbate the property damages and economic losses associated with coastal storm events and flooding” over the next 50 years in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Regions prone to… Read more
In this report, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) outlines strategic planning tools that communities and governments at the local, state and federal level can implement before a natural disaster to prepare for rapid reconstruction during the recovery phase. The report walks communities through the development of a recovery plan and serves… Read more
This document describes FEMA’s policy for providing public assistance to reimburse medical facilities for the costs of medical expenses to meet the immediate and temporary needs during a natural disaster. According to the policy, eligible applicants include state and local governments and nonprofit organizations that own or operate a medical or custodial care facility, such… Read more
The methods outlined in this report can serve as a guide for local and state governments and other disaster stakeholders to develop a plan for reunifying children with their families after a natural disaster. Amidst the chaos of a natural disaster, children are more apt to become separated from their legal parents or guardians. This… Read more
The state of Texas recently developed a rapid re-housing model, called RAPIDO, to help low income families recover from disasters more quickly. This report outlines the model’s key innovations, incorporation of fair housing to improve outcomes, and recommendations for next steps. Localities in any state can use this a guide for improving disaster recovery housing… Read more
IBTS spoke with Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky, Emergency Management Public Information Officer (PIO) John Bobel about his plans for communicating during natural disasters at the local level. Below, Bobel offers advice to other localities on how disaster communications planning can increase effectiveness of public communication and outreach during and after an incident. Practice, practice, practice. Make sure… Read more
This FEMA Best Practice guide outlines recommendations for localities to provide pet-friendly shelters during emergencies and large-scale evacuations. Localities should have a plan for implementing pet-friendly shelters to increase the likelihood that pet-owners will evacuate to safety with their pets. Pet-friendly shelters typically allow pet-owners to care for their own animals within the owner’s shelter… Read more
To best support emergency management agencies throughout all phases of disaster, municipal department heads, local elected officials and directors of NGOs and private sector organizations should be trained and knowledgeable in disaster response and recovery. Roger Jolliff, emergency manager for the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Area Emergency Management Agency, is a strong proponent of training a broad… Read more
In many localities, disaster planning is confined to emergency management. To improve the effectiveness of disaster plans, it’s important to engage stakeholders from a broad range municipal departments, NGOs and private sector organizations, in addition to local elected officials. IBTS spoke with Roger Jolliff, director of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Emergency Management Agency, about the best… Read more
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