Federal Government's Role in Natural Disasters: An Understanding

Managing natural hazards is everybody’s responsibility. Individuals, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, local governments, and the federal government are responsible for disaster management. However, many people question the US federal government’s role in natural disasters.

These people question it because they consider local-level authorities to have a more significant role than the federal government. However, the latter essentially plays a vital part in managing natural disasters. Without support from the federal government, disaster management may not be successful.

Recognizing the Federal Government’s Role in Natural Disasters

Disaster management consists of several phases. In each of those phases, the federal government plays its responsibility. This government conducts its role through FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). What is the federal government’s responsibility in natural disaster management?

1. Role in Disaster Preparedness

The federal government helps communities and lower-level authorities to prepare for the potential natural disaster. In this phase of disaster management, federal assistance is in the form of providing funds.

They can use these funds for preparedness strategies, such as evacuation drills for communities, disaster response training for government staff, and purchasing tools to respond to natural disasters. Those strategies are effective in reducing the loss of life and injuries during a hazard.

2. Role in Disaster Mitigation

The federal government's role in natural disasters, particularly in disaster mitigation, is similar to that of disaster preparedness. That is handling funds for mitigating disasters.

The state and local governments may use these funds for various mitigating strategies, such as constructing retaining walls in landslide-prone areas and floodgates in flood-prone areas. Therefore, they can lower disaster risks and their effect.

3. Role in Disaster Relief and Recovery

The federal government works together with other authorities in disaster relief and recovery. Each of them has a unique responsibility in these phases. The federal government natural disaster relief and recovery actions come in many forms.

• Housing Assistance: Many people lose their homes due to natural catastrophes. Therefore, the federal government gives housing assistance to displaced people. Consequently, they can stay warm and safe during the crisis.

• Providing Life Essentials: The federal government delivers victims of disasters with life essentials, such as food, clothes, and blankets. The government may directly deliver these items or give them through the state and local governments.

• Providing Loans for Businesses and Individuals: Natural disasters may greatly affect the economy and cause financial difficulties for businesses and individuals. Consequently, the government gives them loans to continue their businesses and lives.

• Building Infrastructure: The federal government also provides state or local governments with assistance in constructing infrastructure affected by disasters. Therefore, communities in affected areas have better access to public structures and services.

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About FEMA

FEMA is established in the late 1970s. The main objective of this federal government agency is to organize disaster responses. This government agency is under the DHS. Moreover, it has several programs and follows particular rules in conducting disaster management.

• Getting FEMA’s Assistance

Not all natural calamities are worth the FEMA’s assistance. Those getting this support must meet two characteristics. They must occur in the US and overwhelm lower-level governments. 

Moreover, the state and local governments cannot get immediate federal government response to natural disasters after a destructive catastrophe hits their regions. They must do the following steps to get this assistance. 

First, the governor of the state must declare a state of emergency. Moreover, he must formally bid the federal government’s assistance to respond to the disaster.

• FEMA Programs

FEMA has several programs and capabilities to manage natural catastrophes. These programs and capabilities manifest the federal government’s role in natural disasters. Below are examples of these programs.

1. Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program: One of the FEMA’s responsibilities is mitigating disasters. Therefore, this government agency conducts some strategies to identify and reduce disaster risks. For example, it offers a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to construct resilient buildings.

2. National Flood Insurance Program: This insurance is one of the federal government’s risk reduction programs. Property owners in flood-prone areas can purchase this insurance to get financial protection.

3. Disaster Medical Assistance Teams: These teams are parts of FEMA’s disaster response programs. They consist of doctors, nurses, and paramedics trained for emergency-level events, such as pandemics of infectious diseases and post-disaster situations.

4. Emergency Response Training: FEMA also offers training classes for professionals and common citizens responding to a disaster. This agency conducts the training in FEMA centers or through a state-level training program.

The federal government’s role in natural disasters covers many areas, such as mitigation, response, and recovery. In mitigating disasters, the federal government uses many components, including cell broadcast alerts. Other countries can use this alert type too if they have cell broadcasters from smsbroadcaster.com.