“Are We Ready? Recovering from 2017 Disasters and Preparing for the 2018 Hurricane Season.”
Introduction
Thank you, Chairman Barletta, Ranking Member Titus, and distinguished members of the Committee for allowing me to testify before you today.
I am
Even though
The 2017 Disaster Season
While the 2017 disaster season ended with headline-grabbing events, the year began with many states still recovering from disasters that struck in 2016, including extreme drought and a series of fires that caused tremendous damage and losses in eastern
This disaster, however, presented numerous opportunities for TEMA to work with other departments and organizations and to engage with non-traditional partners. Utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) Mapping Technology and damage analysis we more efficiently assessed the damage of the affected areas of southeast
One lesson from this disaster was learning how to better engage with partner agencies and organizations. This was crucial to gaining the GIS information, but also for our agency's response in general. From the
Emergency managers judge the size and scope of a disaster season based on the numbers of disaster and extent of the damage. By those metrics, 2017 was a significant year for us. Overall, emergency managers dealt with 59 major disaster declarations, 15 emergency declarations, and 63 fire management assistance declarations last year. These disasters impacted 33 states and two territories, bringing the overall total to 137 declarations, the most since 2011.
According to the
The year also brought more than a dozen western wildfires, which ravaged tens of thousands of acres across
To top off the year, 2017 was also the third hottest year for the lower 48 states in
After every disaster and every year, we embrace the opportunity to reflect on what went well and those areas requiring improvement. As you look across the disaster landscape in 2017, overall the system worked, but some obstacles, some familiar and some new, had to be overcome:
* Setting Expectations. Citizens across the country as well as political leadership must understand the roles and responsibilities in responding to and recovering from disasters. The
* Alerts & Warnings. In addition to the physical disasters which swept the nation, we saw several examples of missteps in utilizing alert and warning systems. The management of these systems, however, varies from state to state, so
* Ensuring Public Certainty. One of the most sensitive issues post-disaster is managing housing programs. In 2017 we saw states such as
Empowering States to Assist One Another
A critical part of response and recovery to disasters is the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). Through EMAC states share resources with one another for all hazards and all disciplines - leveraging federal grant dollars invested into building capabilities by utilizing them for national response efforts and taking those experiences back home to improve their own plans and procedures.
Since EMAC's ratification by
When Hurricane Harvey hit
Even when managing the response to a disaster the size of
Weeks later when Hurricane Irma caused billions of dollars of damage to
While the response was initially delayed due to communications and the initial logistics of moving resources across an ocean, states provided a robust response through EMAC to support resource requests from the
States also sent teams to
At the same time states were responding to Hurricane Harvey, Irma, and Maria they also sent resources to
In total, 19,196 personnel deployed through the EMAC from
EMAC is a testament to states helping states and the successes of continual improvements to plans and procedures. In May, NEMA conducted an after-action conference from the EMAC events of 2017. While the report is still being drafted, we will share a copy to the Committee as soon as it becomes available which we expect to be in the next month or so. Even though the report is not yet done, as we move into the 2018 hurricane season, states continue integrating lessons learned into future planning and preparing to help one another once again when the need arises.
Building Capacity for 2018 and Beyond
When considering how best to prepare for the next disaster season, any changes to policy, statute, or processes must be done with an eye toward comprehensive solutions. For example, efforts such as the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), introduced by this Committee, and now passed twice by the
* Management Costs. The legislation raises the amount currently available for management costs from 3.34 percent to 12 percent. This critical increase will allow states and locals to take on more responsibility, but as that shift occurs, the roles and responsibilities between federal, state, and local emergency managers must be well-defined. Furthermore, for this shift toward collaborative disaster management to be truly effective,
* Pre-disaster Mitigation. The commitment to pre-disaster mitigation in the DRRA is encouraging. By allowing six percent of disaster costs to go toward pre-disaster mitigation through the National Public Infrastructure Pre-disaster Hazard Mitigation Program, this nation will fundamentally shift the preparedness paradigm and drive down the long-term costs of disasters. Especially when coupled with the new finding that mitigation saved
* Mitigation for Wildfire Prevention. Since first included in the FY15 Appropriations bill, NEMA remains supportive of allowing
We appreciate the time and effort Members of the Committee and their staff dedicate to working with us in making small changes to some provisions as well, and look forward to finalizing those as the bill continues moving through conference this summer.
While we embrace much of what the DRRA offers, Members of
Beyond the 2017 federally declared disasters, 22,552 events required state assets, while local assets supported 12,557 additional local and tribal events.
One of the key ways in which emergency managers build capacity is through programs such as the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG). With a one-to-one matching requirement at the local and state levels, this program represents one of the best values in federal spending. EMPG continues as a critical driver of progress and success made across the country in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from all hazards. The program's success is shared by all levels of government and relies heavily on the continued, and decades-long, commitment of
In 2017, the federal investment in EMPG was
For these reasons in FY19, NEMA joined with colleagues of the
While we will continue to advocate for an increase in this important program, small changes can also be made through regulation to allow states and locals to build more emergency management capacity.
When managing disaster declarations, states and locals coordinate billions of dollars in Federal grants through
In June, NEMA and IAEM came together and submitted a proposal to
Conclusion
On behalf of the state emergency managers, thank you again for holding this hearing and drawing attention to the needs of our community. Often in the wake of a major disaster or series of disasters; judgment is cast on federal programs and perceived successes or failures sometimes even before the flood waters retreat. As you examine the response to events such as those in 2017 and look to make changes to federal programs, before criticizing the response to an event, remember we are all in positions of trust, placed here by the people we serve. While it may be convenient to look to
Read this original document at: https://transportation.house.gov/UploadedFiles/2018-07-18_-_Sheehan_Testimony.pdf
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