In addition to the CRS document just noted, here is a new report from GAO. See:
GAO Priority Recommendations to DHS.
New GAO Priority Recommendations for DHS
Reply
New CRS Report on DHS Issues
From the Congressional Research Service: Selected Homeland Security Issues in the 116thCongress.
Note that the sections on the Disaster Recovery Reform Act and the NFIP may be of special interest to readers.
City and University Collaborate in Houston, TX
From GovTech: Houston Works Toward Data-Driven Disaster Response. Together with Rice University and other local institutions, the Texas city is collaborating with residents and stakeholders to plan for future flood mitigation given the devastation seen during Hurricane Harvey.
New GAO Report on Disaster Contracting
New GAO report: 2017 Disaster Contracting: Actions Needed to Improve the Use of Post-Disaster Contracts to Support Response and Recovery. GAO-19-281: Apr 24, 2019. Both a highlights report and the full report (87pp) are available at that website.
Annual Toll of Weather Disasters
From the Congressional Budget Office: Hurricanes and Storm Flooding Taking a $54 Billion Annual Toll
The Congressional Budget Office warned in a new report that the cost inflicted by hurricanes and storm-related flooding is expected to hit $54 billion a year, equivalent to 0.3 percent of the nation’s current gross domestic product.
That total consists of $34 billion in expected annual economic losses to the residential sector, $9 billion to commercial businesses, and $12 billion to the public sector.
CBO estimates that a combination of private insurance coverage for wind damage, federal flood insurance, and federal disaster assistance would cover roughly 50 percent of losses to the residential sector and 40 percent of losses to the commercial sector.
Disaster Fund Spending Explodes in Recent Years
From the Wash. Post: Taxpayer spending on U.S. disaster fund explodes amid climate change, population trends. The charts in this article are quite compelling.
As global temperatures rise, the federal government has faced far more billion-dollar disasters — those causing at least $1 billion in damages. From 1980 through 2018, the U.S. government faced, on average, only six such in a given year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
But of the most recent five years on record — from 2014 to 2018 — the United States has seen an average of 13 billion-dollar disasters every year.
Three of the past six years have seen the highest federal spending on disaster relief on record, according to federal data.
Secondary Perils Are An Increasing Threat
From Homeland Security News, this article about a new Swiss Re report: Environmental “secondary perils” an increasing threat
The catastrophe loss experience of the last two years is a wake-up call for the insurance industry, highlighting a trend of growing devastation wreaked by so-called ‘secondary perils’ – which are independent small to mid-sized events, or secondary effects of a primary disaster.
Example of County Emergency Response Guide
Fairfax County, VA, usually the source of innovative emergency management competence, has issued a new Emergency Response Guide. It is 123 pages.
It should be useful for training Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and other local personnel.
Gift for Donation
The Diva will send a gift to the next 4 people who make a donation to this blog. It is a credit-card size plastic card with a flash drive embedded. Produced by FEMA’s Building Science program, the USB contains a wealth of documents dealing with all hazards. It’s like having a book shelf of documents, but you can keep it in your wallet or briefcase.
Local Government Leadership in Disaster Response
The Diva recommends this new report for its practical advice from experienced local officials. See: City Managers and Elected Officials Play a Key Role in Disaster Response. The city/county managers should play a huge role in facilitating relationships and responsibilities and help elected officials understand that they should be included in preparation and training.
In a report published by the International City/County Management Association, Ron Carlee examines — through interviews and his extensive experience — the roles that local managers and elected officials play before, during and after a disaster, and shares best practices.
Recovery Diva 