From Inside Climate News: Hurricane Beryl Was a Warning Shot for Houston
The category one storm dealt the city disastrous damage. Houston’s first direct hit from a hurricane in decades showed how vulnerable the nation’s energy capital remains.

From HSNewsWire: MANAGED RETREAT Disaster Recovery: What Community-Driven Relocation Could Look Like.
Over the past forty years, the Gulf Region has experienced devastating hurricanes and flooding, costing 232 billion dollars. The gut reaction after any disaster is to rebuild and protect-in-place, but sometimes communities have to consider relocation — but the conversations around rebuilding versus relocation continue to be challenging for policymakers and the communities impacted by disasters

From Fortune: FEMA is denying requests for aid as relief fund runs dry amid record number of costly disasters

“FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund could be depleted by mid August without additional money from Congress, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the Associated Press last month. The fund faces a more than $6 billion deficit without supplemental appropriations, according to its most recent monthly report.

Last year, the Disaster Relief Fund was forced to halt payments for about a month – the first time it had to do so since 2017 — for thousands of projects not considered immediate as it was running out of money. For example, funding was delayed for projects related to past hurricanes and wildfires.”

“If FEMA funding doesn’t grow at the same rate of disasters, something is going to give,” said Sarah Sullivant, a managing director at S&P Global Ratings. “These disasters are getting more costly. It will require more funding for FEMA. If that funding is not forthcoming, we are talking about long-term state and local governments being on the hook for more.”

From HSToday: FEMA and HUD Partner to Boost State Housing Recovery and Resilience.

“Yesterday, FEMA in partnership with the U.S. Department of Urban Housing and Development (HUD), published the Pre-Disaster Housing Planning Initiative Report to promote collaborative approaches to disaster housing recovery challenges and to bolster state planning for housing recovery before disasters occur.

This joint effort helps build local capacity and ensures states, Tribal Nations and territories adopt a proactive approach to housing recovery. A first-of-its-kind partnership between FEMA, HUD and states, the initiative was created to address these issues during blue sky days to help ensure individuals, families and communities can recover effectively from disasters. This type of planning also helps states move from short-term sheltering programs to more sustainable housing solutions.”

This recent report from RAND puts the spotlight on massive recovery efforts underway in TX and adjacent states and the special problems they are encountering. See Climate Change Risk to National Critical Functions.

From HSToday: Texas Residents Advised to Take Precautions Amid Hurricane Beryl Recovery.

“Residents of Texas are urged by FEMA to take necessary precautions as they assess damage and begin the cleanup process following the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. With millions of people still without power, the dangers of extreme heat are a significant concern. As the storm moves northeast across the Midwest, those in its path should remain vigilant and heed the advice of local officials.”

From the NYTimes: As Climate Toll Grows, FEMA Imposes Limits on Building in Flood Plains. New restrictions are meant to reduce damage during floods. The rules were first proposed in 2016, then the Trump administration scrapped them.

“We are going to be able to put a stop to the cycle of response and recovery, and rinse and repeat,” Deanne Criswell, the FEMA administrator, said during a call with reporters. The new rule will “enhance resilience in flood-prone communities, by taking future flood risk into consideration when we rebuild,” she said.

From  SanageloLive: FEMA Issues Relief Plan for Tropical Storm Beryl

“Prior to the hurricane’s landfall, FEMA stockpiled commodities and critical supplies, including 500,000 meals and 800,000 liters of water, that are ready to distribute at the state’s request. FEMA also has 60 generators on-site to provide power to critical infrastructure, if needed.

To ensure communication capabilities on the ground, FEMA has two Mobile Emergency Response Support vehicles prepared to deploy.”

From the Homeland Security News Wire and the Texas Tribune: More Than 100 Texas Counties Lack Plans to Curb Damage from Natural Disasters.

“These plans typically provide an assessment of risks from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and wildfires. A plan can include, for example, an estimate of how many buildings are prone to flooding and how much it would take to clean up a flood. The plan also lays out goals for local governments to save lives and property. One such objective could be to create cooling centers during times of extreme heat. Another might be updating zoning policies to ensure buildings can withstand a stronger earthquake.

Ultimately, the plan can help communities prepare for and recover faster from any type of disaster.

When done correctly, a hazard mitigation plan can help the community get behind projects and prioritize them, as well as help the community reflect on the risks they have and try to do something about them,” said Kristin Smith, a lead researcher for Headwaters Economics, a Montana-based nonprofit that helps communities with land management.”

From CNN: Opinion: Our disaster responders are exhausted. This puts Americans at risk.
This is a candid account of the current problems and some suggestions for improvements in the national emergency management system. The author, Peter Gaynor, is a former FEMA Administrator.