Hurricane Katrina inspired a national pet evacuation policy. The plan could save human lives, too. People are more likely to evacuate if they can find safe passage for their pets, too.
Update: I just found a related story on The Bonds Between People and Animals.
From the DHS Office of Inspector General: Lack of Permanent Leadership Compounded DHS Challenges
A new Inspector General (OIG) report defined the most pressing challenges facing the third largest federal agency as:
U.S. Virgin Islands Recovery: Additional Actions Could Strengthen FEMA’s Key Disaster Recovery Efforts. GAO-20-54: Nov 19, 2019.
Full report (76 pp) and the highlights of the report are both on this site.
Although not exactly on the mark for the main theme of this blog, the Diva thought this article was worth considering. See: 2019 Report on Stress in America.
The American Psychological Association released “Stress in America 2019,” an annual survey detailing the prevalence and causes of stress across the country. This survey indicates three main issues of concern for the majority of Americans: the upcoming 2020 presidential election, health care, and mass shootings. Of these issues, mass A Women sits on the edge of a dock starring into the water.shootings were the most common stress source with 62 % of adults citing it as a stressor.
Also cited more frequently as stressors this year than the previous year are the issues of climate change/global warming, discrimination, terrorism, and sexual harassment. Although overall stress levels have remained relatively the same over the past year, 56% of Americans agree “this is the lowest point in the nation’s history that they remember.”
Venice (Italy) Floods Are a Sad Tale of Bureaucracy and Corruption. Yes, climate change is to blame for the worst flooding since 1966. But the management of the MOSE flood defense project has been pretty abject.
Thanks to the generosity of the editor, Dr. Shirley Laska, this book is available as an open access publications. See Louisiana’s Response to Extreme Weather.
This report from CNN of the Congressional hearing for the proposed new FEMA Director, Peter Gaynor. See: FEMA nominee says he does not know the causes of climate change. The Diva thinks it it not a hopeful sign when the nominee for that key position is ignorant of the science and causes of many disasters currently and in the future.
By contrast, the Homeland Security Digital Library features a recent study titled Focusing on Pressing Issues and Beyond. It is important to note that 3rd on this list of issues that concern defense and security educators is climate change. At least some key actors are interested.
EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION RELIEF: Federal Transit Administration and FEMA Took Actions to Coordinate, but Steps Are Needed to Address Risk of Duplicate Funding
Both the highlights and full verion ( 28 pp.) are available on that website.
How Communities Can Build Psychological Resilience to Disaster. As climate change makes disasters more severe, researchers say we can prepare by being informed, volunteering, and staying socially connected.
Recovery Diva 