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Federal Emergency Management Agency

FY2010 Supplemental for Wars, Disaster Assistance, Haiti Relief, and Court Cases Amy Belasco, Coordinator Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget Daniel H. Else Specialist in National Defense Bruce R. Lindsay Analyst in Emergency Management Policy Rh

Posted Fri, 06/11/2010 - 00:00

The Administration requested $63.4 billion in FY2010 supplemental appropriations: • $5.1 billion to replenish the U.S. Disaster Relief Fund administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); • $33 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) primarily for deploying 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan; • $4.5 billion in war-related foreign aid to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan; • $2.8 billion for Haiti reconstruction and foreign aid in the wake of the earthquake; • $243 million for activities related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

FEMA Disaster Cost-Shares: Evolution and Analysis

Posted Tue, 03/09/2010 - 00:00

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (The Stafford Act, P.L. 93-288) contains discretion for the President to adjust cost-shares for the Public Assistance (PA) program, Sections 406 and 407 of the act, that provides assistance to states, local governments and non-profit organizations for debris removal and rebuilding of the public and non-profit infrastructure.

Mandatory Flood Insurance Purchase in Remapped Residual Risk Areas Behind Levees

Posted Mon, 02/01/2010 - 01:00

This report examines the amount of flood insurance that must be purchased (and retained) on loans secured by real property located in federally designated special flood hazard areas (SFHAs).

Earthquakes: Risk, Detection, Warning, and Research

Posted Thu, 01/14/2010 - 01:00

The 1994 Northridge (CA) earthquake caused as much as $26 billion (in 2005 dollars) in damage and was one of the costliest natural disasters to strike the United States. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has estimated that earthquakes cost the United States over $5 billion per year. A hypothetical scenario for a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in southern California estimated a possibility of 1,800 fatalities and over $200 billion in economic losses. The May 12, 2008, magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Sichuan, China, resulted in nearly 70,000 fatalities.

FEMA Disaster Housing: From Sheltering to Permanent Housing

Posted Wed, 09/16/2009 - 00:00

For over three decades the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided temporary housing assistance to eligible victims of natural disasters. FEMA has responded to more than a thousand disaster and emergency events over this period, employing a number of options for meeting the needs of people who have lost their primary housing as a result of a disaster declared by the President.

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and All-Hazard Warnings

Posted Fri, 08/14/2009 - 00:00

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is built on a structure conceived in the 1950's when over-the-air broadcasting was the best-available technology for widely disseminating emergency alerts. It is one of several federally managed warning systems. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) jointly administers EAS with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in cooperation with the National Weather Service (NWS), an organization within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA/NWS weather radio system has been upgraded to an all-hazard warning capability.

Emergency Communications: The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and All-Hazard Warnings

Posted Fri, 06/26/2009 - 00:00

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is one of several federally managed
warning systems. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) jointly
administers EAS with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in
cooperation with the National Weather Service (NWS), an organization within the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA/NWS
weather radio system has been upgraded to an all-hazard warning capability.

Homeland Security Department: FY2010 Appropriations

Posted Tue, 06/23/2009 - 00:00

This report describes the FY2010 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Administration requested a net appropriation of $44.1 billion in budget authority for FY2010. This amounts to a $2.8 billion, or a 6.7% increase over the $41.2 billion enacted for FY2009 (not including supplemental funding). Total budget authority requested by the Administration for DHS for FY2010 amounts to $55.1 billion.

Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities: A Summary and Issues for the 111th Congress

Posted Thu, 04/09/2009 - 00:00

In light of lessons learned from the September 2001, terrorist attacks and other catastrophes such as Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav, the 111th Congress is expected to consider questions and issues associated with federal homeland security assistance. Federal homeland security assistance, for the purpose of this report, is defined as U.S. Department of Homeland Security programs that provide funding, training, or technical assistance to states, localities, tribes, and other entities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from man-made and natural disasters.