Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf coasts of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi on 29th August 2005, resulting in severe and widespread damage to the region. The response of the federal government, especially the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in the aftermath of the storm has been widely criticised. Some of and the criticism has focused on the organisational arrangements involving FEMA and its parent, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This book summarises principal federal disaster assistance programs, specifically FEMA, for possible use by Members of Congress and staff in helping address the needs of constituents. A number of federal agencies provide assistance to victims; to state, territorial, and local governments; and to non-governmental entities following a disaster. Among other forms of assistance, federal programs can provide grants, loans, loan guarantees, temporary housing, and counselling. The background of FEMA is also presented.

In the wake of Hurricane Isabel in 2003, this is a report on issues related to the Nat. Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) & its oversight & mgmt. by the Fed. Emergency Mgmt. Agency (FEMA). Private insurance companies sell NFIP policies & adjust claims, while a private program contractor helps FEMA administer the NFIP. This report assesses: (1) the statutory & regulator limitations on coverage for homeowners under the NFIP; (2) FEMA's role in monitoring & overseeing the NFIP; (3) FEMA's response to concerns regarding NFIP payments for Hurricane Isabel claims; & (4) the status of FEMA's implementation of provisions of the Flood Insur. Reform Act of 2004. Impacts from Hurricane Katrina were not part of the report's scope. Tables.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for coordinating the delivery of federal support to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments under Presidential emergency or major disaster declarations or to other federal agencies under the concept of federal-to-federal support. It is important to recognize that FEMA does not assume responsibility for local incident command activities but, instead, provides a structure for the command, control, and coordination of federal resources to states, local incident commands, and other end users. The FEMA Incident Management Handbook (IMH) is a tool to assist FEMA emergency management personnel in conducting their assigned missions in the field. The IMH provides information on FEMA's incident-level operating concepts, organizational structures, functions, position descriptions, and key assets and teams. The IMH is intended for use by FEMA personnel deployed at the incident level. However, the IMH also provides whole community stakeholders operating in a FEMA facility information about key incident-level FEMA functions. The concepts in the IMH are applicable to FEMA operations during Stafford Act-based Presidential declarations and non-Stafford Act incidents involving federal-to-federal support. Check out our Emergency Management & First Responders collection here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/emergency-management-first-responders Other products produced by FEMA here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/federal-emergency-management-agency-fema