From RAND: Assessing Racial Equity in Disaster Management. The RAND Corporation performed a literature review and exploratory study on racial equity, and how disasters can magnify the challenges already present for diverse community members. According to the report, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) made an effort to address racial inequity in their mission statement, but lack the proper resources to follow through and make a meaningful impact.

Now Available: the eighth edition of the Measuring the State of Disaster Philanthropy report today. Based on the latest available data, the report documents $30 billion in private, public, corporate and individual disaster-related giving to address major disasters and humanitarian crises that affected millions globally in 2019.

Though it feels likes like ages ago, that year we saw Hurricane Dorian cause catastrophic damage, wildfires plague the Amazon, California and Australia, and Cyclone Ida caused widespread flood destruction – just to name a few.

You are invited to join the webinar, Money, money, money – Beyond philanthropy: What is the role of public dollars?, on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. ET. With our partner, Candid, we will explore key findings from the report. We will also examine how private dollars are differentiated from public dollars domestically and globally, and what funders can do to supplement the restrictions public dollars often have.

As we head into winter, it is worth reviewing this information: How to Build the Ultimate Emergency Response Kit.These dilemmas are often unpredictable, but you can prepare for them ahead of time. One of the best ways to do that is.to build an emergency kit of necessities: food, water, first aid and other survival gear.

From the CRS: Recent Funding Increases for FEMA Hazard
Mitigation Assistance.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced that $3.46 billion in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding will be made available to states, territories, and tribes (STTs) with major disaster declarations for the COVID-19 pandemic. FEMA also announced increased funding for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program for FY2021. In addition, further funding for BRIC and the Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program (FMA) may be available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Negotiators at COP26 are unlikely to deal with the challenges posed by climate migration, a failure that some experts say shows “a lack of political will.”

Disaster Recovery: Efforts to Identify and Address Barriers to Receiving Federal Recovery Assistance.GAO-22-105488

An ANTHOLOGY OF IDEAS AFTER HURRICANE IDA; 20 experts discuss our future with flash floods and what we can do about it.

Thanks to Don Watson for the citation.

FEMA Flood Maps: Better Planning and Analysis Needed to Address Current and Future Flood Hazards. GAO-22-104079

The “National Advisory Council’s Report to the FEMA Administrator,” was released in November 2020. This report marked the first time the NAC members were charged with specific areas of concern to address in the field of emergency management, rather than open-ended topics.  The report, and FEMA’s response, focuses on four main themes—equity, outcomes, coordination, and what works.

“We value our NAC partners’ commitment to advancing FEMA’s mission by identifying opportunities in which we can improve and streamline the delivery of our programs,” said Administrator Criswell. “We are proud of what the agency has achieved thus far, and we will remain steadfast in our pursuit of infusing equity throughout our programs, bolstering coordination with our stakeholders, and focusing our efforts on delivering positive outcomes for communities nationwide.”

At the beginning of her tenure in April 2021, Administrator Deanne Criswell charged the agency’s leadership with reviewing and responding to the report through the lens of the Biden Administration’s priorities on equity, climate change and readiness.