Long before flash floods damaged communities in Ohio and Marion counties this month, West Virginia University researchers were studying community resilience in flood-devastated areas of the state. The toolkit they developed will help communities better prepare for such emergencies and recover quicker.
From the Baltimore Banner: Alas, poor FEMA. We knew you well.
“President Donald Trump set Nov. 30 as the date he’ll feed the Federal Emergency Management Agency into his government wood chipper.”
From CBS News: FEMA pulls $150 million from South Florida flood projects, sparking community outcry
“Hundreds of thousands of South Florida homes already vulnerable to flooding are now left even more exposed after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) abruptly canceled $150 million in grants meant to upgrade aging flood infrastructure.”
“FEMA’s decision to terminate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and revoke all pending grant applications from fiscal years 2020 to 2023 has halted flood control upgrades in several communities.”
“The agency called the move an effort to reduce waste and realign with executive priorities.”
From Politico: Florida plans for peak hurricane season amid storm of FEMA reforms
Despite the state’s experience and expertise, Florida has historically has relied on tens of billions of recovery dollars provided by FEMA.
From The Hill: Trump and Noem detail planned FEMA changes: ‘We’re going to give out less money’
President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem detailed changes they hope to make to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), indicating they intend to eliminate the agency “as it exists today” and to dole out less money to states that are hit by disasters.
Head of FEMA Command Center Quits After Trump Says He’ll Phase Out the Agency. The official, Jeremy Greenberg, was in charge of coordinating the national response to major disasters.
The news today is alarming:
From CNN: Trump says he plans to phase out FEMA after 2025 hurricane season
From the WashPost: Trump says governors should be able to handle disasters without FEMA. In remarks to reporters, the president said the administration plans to “wean” states off FEMA assistance after hurricane season ends.
From the WashPost: As disasters loom, emergency managers say they aren’t counting on FEMA. President Donald Trump has said he wants state and local officials to shoulder more of the burden of disaster response, even though what that looks like in practice is unclear.
This is essentially a recap of the situation to date, with added voices.
The second edition of U.S. Emergency Management in the 21st Century From Disaster to Catastrophe was released in May and is readily available. Note that the Diva is one of the editors.
Our understanding of hazards and disasters is rapidly changing, and it is unclear as to whether our existing management systems are adequate to adapt to current and future disasters. Thoroughly updated to include the latest research in the hazards and disasters field, U.S. Emergency Management in the 21st Century continues the tradition of giving readers access to exemplary case studies drawn from a wide variety of hazards and applied fields.
NEW TO THE SECOND EDITION
U.S. Emergency Management in the 21st Century remains an indispensable textbook on disaster case studies, emergency management policy and practice. An essential resource for students, public, and professionals alike.
Recovery Diva 