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Tag Archives: hurricanes
Is FEMA Ready to Respond to Emergencies?
Even before COVID-19, a rising number of natural disasters has meant an increased reliance by state, local, and tribal entities on federal funding and resources. For instance: The 2017 Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria affected 47 million people and are … Continue reading
Posted in About GAO, Coronavirus
Tagged Chris Currie, Coronavirus, disaster assistance, disaster recovery, FEMA, Homeland Security and Justice, HSJ, hurricanes, pandemic
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The State of Recovery Two Years after Hurricanes Irma and Maria
It’s been 2 years since hurricanes Irma and Maria caused extensive damage to several areas, including Puerto Rico, Florida, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Hurricane Maria was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Puerto Rico since 1928, destroying highways … Continue reading
Posted in Disaster Assistance
Tagged Chris Currie, Disabilities, Disaster assistance (individuals), Disaster communications, Disaster management (response), disaster recovery, Disaster relief, disaster response, disasters, Education Workforce and Income Security, Elderly persons, Elizabeth Curda, Emergency communications, emergency response, Federal Emergency Management Administration, Homeland Security and Justice, hurricanes, Kathryn Larin, Natural disasters, People with disabilities, Volunteer services
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Contracting for Disaster Response and Recovery
In 2017, 3 hurricanes—Harvey, Irma, and Maria—and the California wildfires caused widespread damage and affected 15% of the nation’s population. Federal agencies often rely on contracts to provide necessary goods and services to survivors in the aftermath of such catastrophes. … Continue reading
Climate Change, Global Migration, and U.S. Government Actions
Today is World Environment Day—a day for learning more about key issues facing the environment, such as climate change, and for thinking about how people interact with the Earth. In today’s WatchBlog, we discuss our recent report on the potential … Continue reading
Posted in International Affairs, Natural Resources and Environment
Tagged climate change, climate change impacts, climate change resiliance, climate change risks, climate migration, climate refugees, crop failure, David Gootnick, DCM, demographic changes, Department of Defense, disasters, DOD, drought, environment, extreme weather events, floods, forced migration, global migration, hurricanes, IAT, international development, International Organization for Migration, migrant, migrate, migration, natural disaster, political stability, refugees, risk assessment, sea level rise, State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, world environment day
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Marking 40 Years of FEMA
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed an executive order merging many separate, disaster-related responsibilities into an independent agency called the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In the 40 years since its creation, FEMA has undergone dramatic changes—most notably in 2003, when … Continue reading
Posted in Disaster Assistance, Podcast, Video
Tagged California, Chris Currie, Department of Homeland Security, disaster assistance, disaster management, disaster recovery, disaster response, Federal Emergency Management Agency, federal grants, FEMA, Florida, high risk list, HSJ, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Sandy, hurricanes, New Jersey, priority recommendations, Puerto Rico, storm damage, wildfires, workforce management
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Podcast Roundup – Podcasts You May Have Missed
We’ve been busy podcasting! And if you’re not subscribed on iTunes or our RSS feed, you’re missing out. Today’s WatchBlog catches you up on some of our recent podcasts. Rural Hospital Closures: From 2013-2017, 64 hospitals in rural areas in the United States closed their … Continue reading
Posted in Podcast
Tagged Afghanistan, Chris Currie, CNSA, Cristina Chaplain, cyber security, DOD, HC, HSJ, hurricanes, IAT, James Cosgrove, Jessica Farb, John Dicken, podcast roundup, rural hospital, security, substance abuse, wildfires, youth
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Natural Disasters and FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program
In September 2018, Hurricane Florence brought record-setting floods to the Carolinas and another major deployment of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The numbers aren’t in yet on Florence’s impact, but in 2017, California wildfires, Atlantic hurricanes and other natural disasters … Continue reading
Posted in disaster assistance
Tagged Chris Currie, FEMA, HSJ, hurricanes, Individual Assistance, natural disaster, wildfires
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2017 Hurricanes and Wildfires
In 2017, four disasters over the space of four months—Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the California wildfires—created an extraordinary demand for federal disaster assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which coordinates the federal response to disasters, estimated the disasters … Continue reading
Everyone Ready for Atlantic Hurricane Season?
This week marks the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. To prepare, you might be considering such activities as stockpiling water and making a plan with family or neighbors. At the federal level, preparing for—and recovering from—disasters requires planning with … Continue reading
It’s Hurricane Season—Informing Federal Disaster Management
Hurricane season is well under way, and we’re highlighting some of our reports and resources that can help inform federal disaster management in events such as hurricanes. 2014’s first named storm, Hurricane Arthur, has already found a place in the … Continue reading