How Is FEMA Impacted by Severe Weather

1
How Is FEMA Impacted by Severe Weather?

• When severe weather creates a disaster that is
  beyond state and local capability, FEMA may be
  called upon to provide support.
• FEMA has provided support to 9 states declared
  disaster areas in 2001.
• In the past 10 years, the Federal Emergency
  Management Agency has spent 20 billion to help
  communities repair and rebuild after natural
  disasters.

2
Minimize the Impacts of Severe Weather

• Mitigation can be used to minimize the impacts of
  severe weather.
• Mitigation is defined as sustained action that
  reduces or eliminates long-term risk to people
  and property from natural hazards and their
  effects.
• Examples of mitigation are keeping homes out of
  floodplains, adopting and enforcing building
  codes for defensible space to prevent wildfire
  damage.

3
Technology to Reduce Severe Weather Impacts

• Mitigation technologies can be implemented
  throughout society.
• Structural mitigation measures can be used to
  strengthen hospitals, fire stations and other
  critical services so they remain operational
  during disaster.

4
Legislative/regulatory Change?

• In practice, there are many ways to implement
  mitigation
• Promoting sound land use planning.
• Purchasing flood insurance.
• Install hurricane straps to secure roof to
  structure.
• Adopt and enforce building codes.
• Create defensible space around structures that
  are subject to wildfire threat.