From CNN, this discouraging report.  Mostly negative account of the recent hurricanes and Brock Long’s ability as FEMA Administrator. See: Hellish summer of hurricanes smashes FEMA.

The Diva thinks we do know better and can do better as a nation. She would like to hear from readers on this topic.

For example, back in 1992, after the federal response to Hurricane Andrew went badly, Congress mandated a study of that response by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). Their final report, Coping with Catastrophe was an in-depth examination of the federal disaster response system and made recommendations that were followed by FEMA in the following years.

As I have suggested before, when faced with a major failure of a federal agency or program, go to organizations like NAPA or the National Academy of Sciences for an expert panel and serious advice. Of course, this assumes a receptive administration to implement the recommendations.

Update: Please see comments attached to posting. And see also this related blog post by Eric Holdeman.

The news goes from bad to worse these days for FEMA. This Newsweek article cites a report by the Inspector General of the Dept. of Homeland Security. See: FEMA Wasted Billions of Taxpayer Dollars And May Have Broken The Law

The cash-strapped federal disaster agency charged with distributing billions to hurricane survivors and wildfire-ravaged communities is reportedly failing to properly track disaster-relief payments, putting taxpayer money—and victims themselves—at risk for fraud, waste and abuse, a new government report shows.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to follow recommendations from a 2011 report by its own Inspector General instructing the agency to implement a system to track insurance information—a failure that led to potentially billions of wasted taxpayers dollars, according to a Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General’s “Semiannual Report to The Congress.”

From USAToday: 2017’s onslaught of disasters stretched FEMA to its limits.

FEMA has issued 135 disaster declarations this year, the most since 2011. I am not able to tell how many are still active at this time.

Several articles have appeared lately citing comments from FEMA Administrator Block Long. Clearly reality has set in, and it is messy! Long is contemplating what his agency can and cannot do. See: Top Emergency Management Official: Hit the ‘Reset Button’ on Disaster Recovery Roles.

Note: the Diva is not familiar with the source of this article, the website called route fifty. But the article raises a no. of issues worth considering. From their website: “Route Fifty is a digital news publication from Atlantic Media’s Government Executive Media Group, which also publishes Government Executive magazine, GovExec, Nextgov and Defense One.”

A discussion of the question that has been asked since 2003 when FEMA was included in the Dept. of Homeland Security. From the National Interest: Should FEMA Be a Stand Alone Agency?

As a follow up to an earlier posting about grants and contracts at FEMA see this one: Whitefish’s No-Bid Puerto Rico Contract Spotlights Troubled FEMA Grants.

The federal agency paying for a controversial no-bid, $300 million contract to rebuild Puerto Rico’s power grid has for years received scathing reports from government auditors for how it oversees the management of similar grants.

Members of Congress from both parties have raised questions about the selection last week of Whitefish Energy Holdings LLC to lead the rebuilding of Puerto Rico’s hurricane-ravaged electrical grid. The two-year-old Montana-based company had just two employees prior to beginning its work in Puerto Rico.

Update: Apparently, FEMA did not let the contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings according to this article:  In its statement Friday, FEMA clarified that it was not involved in hiring the company to restore power to the island and hasn’t provided any reimbursement to the PREPA yet for its contract with Whitefish. See: FEMA Has ‘Significant Concerns About $300 M Utility Deal. 

As of Oct. 29, it appears that the contract was let by the island’s utility co. The Governor is planning to cancel it.  What took so long to figure this out? Here is an article from Huff Post on the subject; PR’s Contract with Whitefish Is As Bad As it Looks.

Ad noted in earlier postings, FEMA is working 22 declarations and in the process of hiring 2,000 workers. Therefore, it is not a surprise that response and recovery in the areas recently struck by major hurricanes are lagging. See: Still Waiting for FEMA in Texas and Florida After Hurricanes

Outside the White House this month, President Trump boasted about the federal relief efforts. “In Texas and in Florida, we get an A-plus,” he said. FEMA officials say that they are successfully dealing with enormous challenges posed by an onslaught of closely spaced disasters, unlike anything the agency has seen in years. But on the ground, flooded residents and local officials have a far more critical view.

According to interviews with dozens of storm victims, one of the busiest hurricane seasons in years has overwhelmed federal disaster officials. As a result, the government’s response in the two biggest affected states — Texas and Florida — has been scattershot: effective in dealing with immediate needs, but unreliable and at times inadequate in handling the aftermath, as thousands of people face unusually long delays in getting basic disaster assistance.