Disaster Recovery News

Photo by Daquella Manera

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confessed on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 that it does not have an emergency plan in place for those who have special needs, including those who are elderly, disabled and institutionalized. In their defense, officials stated it too difficult for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination to create a rescue plan effectively with a $150,000 budget and four people on staff. The Miami Herald reports, “Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Calif…said the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 improved emergency preparedness by directing FEMA to appoint a Disability Coordinator, but she added that the disability office’s meager funding has restricted its ability to perform well.”

Possible Solutions

In an attempt to address this issue, FEMA has suggested creating a list of individuals with special needs;. However, many feel this answer is ineffective and creates a false sense of security, as officials must consider when the next disaster may strike, not when. Instead, Marcie Roth, director of the disability office, states citizens need to take more responsibility and community-wide emergency trainings should be implemented.

Read more about this story.

There is an obvious need to provide resources to those with special needs, which FEMA acknowledges is a matter of life or death. To help with this cause, the RAND Corporation has published Enhancing Public Health Emergency Preparedness for Special Needs Populations: A Toolkit for State and Local Planning and Response.

Learn how you and your family can be prepared for a disaster.

Read about creating a disaster plan for your business.

FEMA, the United Way, and the city of Louisville, Kentucky are seeking volunteers to aid with the flood restoration process after Jefferson County was devastated by a flood on August 4, 2009. The hope is to attain 100 people to volunteer their time every day for the next two weeks.

The mayor of Louisville sent out this plea:

“I’m calling on our faith-based organizations to help clear and clean these homes for our citizens who cannot do it alone. Without swift action, mold may overtake homes and threaten the health of families.”

Metro United Way, which is coordinating the volunteer effort, is providing assistance to those who are unable to clean-up their homes in the aftermath of the flood. Louisville Metro Public Solid Waste will not be charging a fee for flood debris that has been left out for curbside pickup. For more information about debris pick-up, call MetroCall at 311.

FEMA is providing flood aid for the August 4 flood. One must first apply.

More on this story.

Flood restoration specialists can aid home owners and families dry-out personal belongings, restore wet photos, and help clean and prevent mold damage. They can also help businesses clean up and ensure rapid business continuity.

More on the flood restoration process.

Image from FEMA

FEMA administrator, Craig Fugate, announced recently the agency will create a group that will focus on the needs of children during times of an emergency called “Children’s Working Group”.

On its website, FEMA states:

“The working group will allow FEMA and its partners to explore and implement planning and response strategies specific to children throughout the agency and ensure that during a disaster the unique needs of children are not only considered, but fully integrated into how FEMA administers this support to states and the public.”

FEMA will work with the National Commission on Children and Disasters and will focus on helping plan appropriate evacuation plans that will include topics about sheltering and relocating children. Childcare centers, child welfare programs, and schools will also be included in this plan.

The AP states:

“The Bush administration rewrote this national disaster plan after Hurricane Katrina. The new 82-page plan, issued in January 2008, does not include the word ‘children,’ but it does mention pets. That plan, however, is supplemented by more than 200 pages of annexes, which do address children’s needs, though not in depth.”

The following links have been created by FEMA for children, parents, and teachers:

• FEMA’s Ready Kids
• FEMA for Kids
• Resources for parents and teachers
• How to become a Disaster Action Kid
• Publications available to children

Learn about how you and your family can create an emergency disaster kit.

President Obama assured everyone on Friday that preparing for Flood Season 2009 is not a complicated thing, but it is critical. He stated: “It’s a matter of having a basic emergency supply kit with items such as water, some nonperishable food, an all-weather radio, a flashlight, a first-aid kit; making an emergency family plan; staying informed of developments in your area; and learning about your community’s emergency plans.”

The President is confident that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is ready for action under the leadership of its new director, Craig Fugate.

Fewer hurricanes are predicted to affect the United States this year, but residents that could be affected are warned to still be prepared just in case. After all, it does take just one hurricane to cause enough devastation to last for years. It is estimated that 35 million people in the country live in hurricane-prone areas.

Experts advise that not only residents should be prepared for hurricanes, but tourists should prepared be as well. It would be wise for travelers to pack an emergency disaster kit should the weather expected change with little notice.

Learn more about disaster preparedness.

FEMA has been creating and improving upon disaster housing solutions in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the highly criticized trailers that caused people to fall ill. The new and improved trailers feature an adhesive with less formaldehyde in them. They also come in several varieties of beige colors. The travel-trailers are also clean and do not have shutters.

FEMA housed one million displaced, homeless citizens after Hurricane Katrina caused unlivable conditions in homes only to find the emergency housing caused breathing problems, frequent headaches, nosebleeds, and other illnesses. The culprit was the formaldehyde used in what was thought to be a more cost-effective glue product in the manufacturing of the mobile homes and trailers.

The trailers will be undergoing tests for 6 to 12 months by students at the National Emergency Training Center. One of the insulation products being tested includes sheep’s wool, which is thought to absorb formaldehyde. Testers will see if the levels of formaldehyde increase with time if one cooks or smokes in the trailers. Air quality standards are in place for mobile homes in the United States, but not for travel-trailers.

More on what has been done to improve trailers that will serve as emergency housing.

Learn more about recovering after a hurricane.