September 29, 2014
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (
FEMA) is marking the conclusion of
National Preparedness month with National PrepareAthon Day on September 30th. The day will revolve around taking actions to prepare for six specific hazards: earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, and winter storms. FEMA has posted a number of resources to keep states, communities, businesses and families informed. For states,
FEMA has a disaster database available online that allows users to examine different types of disasters by state/tribal government and by year, as well as currently declared disasters, linked to state specific press clips. The agency also provides comprehensive resources and examples on disaster aid programs, the disaster declaration process, Presidential Disaster Declarations, policies and guidance. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to enhance preparedness includes a
Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS) page. The website serves as a national online network of lessons learned, best practices, and innovative ideas for the emergency management and homeland security communities.
States are currently facing a number of disasters and weather emergencies. In September alone, there have been wildfires in California, floods in Arizona, and severe weather in the South. Overall, 34 states have an active disaster declaration. States work in conjunction with the federal government to help plan for, and mitigate the impact of disasters. States provide funding for storm and disaster response through a variety of methods. For typical winter weather, states often make annual appropriations to their Department of Transportation for the purchase of salt and snow removal. For unexpected occurrences, 42 states have established a fund specifically designed to respond to natural or manmade disasters, according to NASBO’s 2008
Budget Processes in the States report. Governors in a number of states also have the ability to transfer funds from other sources, and take other necessary actions, in response to a disaster. Finally, states can receive aid from other states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (
EMAC) and share information through organizations such as the National Emergency Management Association (
NEMA).