natural disaster preparedness fileplanning provisions and require local mitigation plans as a...

NATURAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Waiting for the inevitable is not a plan when it comes to natural disasters. The right time for state and local

governments to lay the groundwork and craft a sustainable response and recovery strategy is before the

hurricane, heatwave, blizzard, flood or tornado strikes.

Specific recovery actions for a community will vary based on the precise nature of the event, the damage it

inflicts, and what the community was like before the disaster; however, taking the time to develop a

preparedness plan can assist in quickly getting the community on the track to recovery following a disaster.

For people within communities impacted by the disaster—struggling to rebuild their lives, homes and

businesses while trying to make ends meet—a preparedness plan can make all the difference. Starting this

plan before the disaster strikes allows stakeholders to ask critical questions and seek responsible answers.

The Evolution of Federal Hazard Mitigation and Planning Life-altering disasters in recent years have reinforced the importance of preparedness planning to help

communities recover more quickly when faced with natural disasters.

“In the early morning hours of December 26, 1802, fire ripped through the city of Portsmouth, New

Hampshire, destroying large areas of this important seaport. The fire was a devastating event and threatened

commerce throughout the northeast section of the newly founded Nation. Nineteen days later, Congress

suspended bond payments for several months for the merchants affected by the fire, thus implementing the

first act of federal disaster relief in American history.”

The federal government has been involved in hazard mitigation and preparedness in the United States for

over 200 years. There is an equally long history of states and communities wanting to fully prepare for both

natural and human-induced disasters. Despite this long history of increasingly frequent events that have

devastated communities, states, and—most importantly—people, the level of importance placed on

preparedness has only recently gained significant momentum.

The federal government has been taking steps to develop a process that will not only assist communities in

the recovery process, but help them to be resilient to future disasters. Understanding the evolution of the

efforts and considerations of the past 40 years will help us all as we move forward with disaster

preparedness.

In 1970, President Nixon introduced the Disaster Assistance Act (DAA) of 1970, which would

codify all disaster relief legislation to date and make hazard mitigation a federal priority. It

introduced hazard mitigation as a federal priority and authorized federal loans and tax assistance to

individuals, tax revenue replacement for local governments, and temporary housing and relocation

for disaster victims.

After Tropical Storm Agnes struck the Eastern Seaboard, the Disaster Relief Act (DRA) of 1974

was enacted which amended the DAA of 1970 to distinguish emergencies from major disasters,

establish the disaster declaration process, and emphasize long-range recovery for the first time. The

legislation included the following facets, among others: the introduction of long-range economic

recovery programs for major disaster areas; encouragement of mitigation planning and projects;

and providing grants to states for the development of plans, programs and capabilities for disaster

preparedness and prevention.

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 amended the

DRA of 1974 to encourage states and localities to develop comprehensive disaster preparedness

plans, prepare for better intergovernmental coordination in the face of a disaster, encourage the use

of insurance coverage, and provide federal assistance programs for losses due to a disaster.

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 amended the Stafford Act to repeal the previous mitigation

planning provisions and require local mitigation plans as a condition of increased federal funding.

Hurricane Katrina grew from a local tragedy to national disgrace as it became apparent that our

federal emergency management system had failed miserably. The Post-Katrina Emergency

Management Reform Act (PKEMRA), enacted in October 2006, required the Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA) to develop improved disaster recovery planning guidance.

Subsequently, FEMA developed the National Disaster Recovery Framework and, more recently,

the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 201, Disaster Recovery Planning.

In March of 2011, President Barack Obama signed and released Presidential Policy Directive 8:

National Preparedness (PPD-8). This directive and its component policies is intended to guide

how different levels of government and local citizens can work to “prevent, protect against, mitigate

the effects of, respond to, and recover from those threats that pose the greatest risk to the security

of the Nation.” These threats include terrorist acts, natural disasters and human-induced incidents.

This Policy Directive works to support the PKEMRA.

Over 200 years of history, legislation and presidential directives make it clear: communities, municipalities

and states can no longer delay the work needed to prepare for natural disasters. The right time to create a

response strategy is before the hurricane, heatwave, blizzard, tornado, flood or other disaster strikes. A plan

can help mitigate the aftereffects, and for people impacted by the disaster—struggling to rebuild their lives

and make ends meet—it can make all the difference in achieving a successful recovery.

---

Online:

http://www.fema.gov/

****

This post is Part One of a six-part series by ProSource Technologies to assist state and local governments

with disaster recovery planning. Please e-mail [email protected] to receive electronic

notifications of each article as they are released.

ProSource is a professional consulting firm specializing in right of way/site acquisition, relocation,

environmental, and disaster and emergency management services for public and private clients. Experience

with large-scale recovery efforts around the country has given ProSource the knowledge and capability to

help other communities with disaster preparedness planning, as well as manage their critical, finite

resources when disaster strikes.











The Importance of Preparedness Planning The American Red Cross reports that more than 200 million people are affected by disasters each year.

Comprehensive pre-disaster preparedness planning can make the transition from crisis to recovery

more effective, efficient and immediate.

It is important to understand that disaster recovery begins long before disaster strikes. The process begins

with preparedness planning and moves through the response phase before truly entering into recovery. The

entire process is personal and interactive; it can be challenging, it can be emotional, and it can be contentious

at times. By working through a planning process before disaster strikes, the planning, response and

recovery process can also be rewarding, spirit lifting and empowering. It can help a community better

understand their resources and assets—and ultimately become more resilient.

Preparedness focuses on understanding how a disaster might impact the community and how education,

outreach and training can build capacity to respond to and recover from a disaster. This preparedness helps

develop the community responses to immediate threats presented by the disaster, including saving lives,

meeting humanitarian needs (such as food, shelter, clothing, public health and safety), participating in

cleanup, assessing damage, and beginning to distribute resources.

As the response period progresses, focus shifts from dealing with immediate emergency issues to recovery

activities such as conducting repairs, restoring utilities, establishing operations for public services

(including permitting) and finishing the cleanup process.

Effective disaster recovery requires a prioritized workflow with the flexibility to identify opportunities

and make adjustments quickly. City and state organizations must be prepared to navigate through a

dynamic, ongoing process of planning for and responding to recovery programs that are still in progress.

The ability to simultaneously implement and evaluate programs provides a multi-pronged approach to

success for both the recovering survivors and the funding organizations. It more quickly provides funding

to those in need while collecting useful recipient feedback that can be used to evaluate circumstances and

swiftly make necessary changes.

An important key to the success of the recovery process is the development of a disaster preparedness

plan. This plan should coordinate with and eventually feed into a larger, comprehensive community plan.

This coordination with the larger community plan will help maximize the effective use of the precious and

limited resources that are available in a post-disaster situation.

Development of a preparedness plan requires a dedicated and in-depth review process, and should include

the following steps:

Designate a lead department/agency or outside organization:

Identify an entity capable of galvanizing wide-ranging support for the disaster preparedness

plan and align the resources needed to get it off the ground.

Identify community assets. Current information for this task may be available in existing strategic

plans and economic analyses:

Inventory current assets and economic drivers. This will help determine economic

vulnerabilities as well as resources to harness in the event of a disaster. The assessment should

include a strong understanding of:

o Demographics

o Housing

o Infrastructure

o City or municipality administrative capacity

o Key industries and/or industry clusters

o Labor and workforce characteristics

o Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis

o Local policy framework (e.g., building codes, local and state incentives and

regulations, environmental mitigation policy, etc.)

Perform a vulnerability analysis for each potential disaster type:

The analysis performed in the previous step should be coordinated with analyses from hazard

mitigation and land use planners to identify at-risk companies, industries or industry clusters.

Think strategically about how a disaster could affect vulnerable areas:

Select a methodology for handling the impacts of a disaster in the most vulnerable areas.

Develop a triage-tiered plan that prioritizes the most pressing community issues.

Solicit community involvement:

Network with the community to engage them in planning for disaster.

o Homeowners, business owners and executives don’t naturally see their role in a

community’s preparedness effort, but in the event of a disaster, local government

cannot act alone in addressing all the needs of the community.

Create stakeholder groups.

o Involve a diverse and dynamic group of stakeholders, including private and public

sectors, elected officials and other key community stakeholders. Include

representatives of main recovery segments: housing, public infrastructure, planning

and administration and economic development.

o Ensure there is representation from industries that are local economic drivers; this

stakeholder group could also serve as the post-disaster economic recovery team.

o Make stakeholders aware that planning for post-disaster situations can be a

complicated, challenging, and controversial process.

Establish parameters for the planning process.

o Ensure that adequate time is given to the planning process.

o Divide stakeholders into subgroups to focus on specific topics, and then combine their

efforts. Establish clear timeframes for each step. This will ensure that the process

continues to move forward, keeping the stakeholder groups on target and reassuring

the public that although this is a lengthy process, it is finite.

o Establish a regular meeting schedule for subgroups and the group as a whole.

Conduct scenario planning for community redevelopment to generate and evaluate options.

o Define the emergency context and type of disaster.

o Lead key stakeholders through possible scenarios to identify impact factors.

o Have stakeholders identify community and economic assets likely to be vulnerable.

o Work through plausible future situations by combining the recognized forces from the

above steps.

o Develop scenarios of what the community could do in terms of redevelopment or

mitigation to protect the community and economic assets.

Propose strategies and steps:

Establish stakeholder recommendations, strategies and steps that clearly articulate lead actors

or entities, roles and responsibilities, action items, and resources needed to complete the effort.

Every community is different, as will be the disaster that could strike it. Gathering information and asking

critical questions now can help avoid pitfalls, delay and waste, forming the basis for a “smart” Action Plan

that leads to a more efficient, timely and responsive funding process. It can assist grantees in balancing the

overall recovery strategies with individual recovery programs.

---

Online:

http://www.redcross.org/

http://restoreyoureconomy.org/

***

This post is Part Two of a six-part series by ProSource Technologies to assist state and local governments








http://www.redcross.org/

http://restoreyoureconomy.org/











The Role of an Action Plan in CDBG-DR Funding Working in advance of a disaster provides ample time to frame probable needs and develop programs

consistent with Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) requirements for

funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). To best prepare, one must

understand the overall purpose of an Action Plan, its role in receiving CDBG-DR funding, and priorities of

CDBG-DR funding. Without this understanding, funding can be delayed.

What is an Action Plan?

Each state and entitlement community completes and submits a Consolidated Plan, which describes

community development priorities and multiyear goals based on an assessment of housing and community

development needs, economic market conditions and available resources, every three to five years to HUD

as a requirement for CDBG funding. This Consolidated Plan also requires an Action Plan to be completed

each year. These annual Action Plans, adjusted as necessary, provide a concise summary of the actions,

activities, and the specific federal and non-federal resources that will be used that year to address the priority

needs and specific goals identified by the Consolidated Plan.

An Action Plan that is developed for CDBG-DR funding is quite different from a yearly Action Plan. Even

the most sophisticated grantee can struggle when it comes to making decisions on the priority needs and

goals for disaster assistance. For example, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, two grantees worked through

six Action Plan amendments within the first year after HUD’s approval of the initial Plan. Initially, needs

and priorities are based on short-term fixes. As the recovery process gets underway, a longer-term view

must prevail and grantees must be willing to make adjustments through Action Plan amendments.

While using CDBG-DR funding comes with regulations that, without experience and knowledge, can slow

the recovery process down, it also offers recipients the funding and program creation flexibility that is

needed and often most effective in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Disaster recovery Action Plans for CDBG-DR funding should:

Be flexible to meet needs, regardless of the size and type of disaster event

Be designed to connect with wraparound services to provide comprehensive disaster recovery

solutions

Be efficient and cost effective with controls to limit benefit duplication, waste and fraud

Serve the greatest population—with an emphasis on assisting the most vulnerable in functional

areas—including, but not limited to: maintaining independence, communication, transportation,

supervision and medical care

Quickly provide permanent and sustainable housing to those affected

Encourage revitalization of existing property

Incorporate mitigation and sustainable building techniques to reduce future liability and promote

green development

When possible, aid in job creation and increased economic activity

Any program contemplated for the recovery process utilizing CDBG-DR dollars must meet one of these

national objectives:

Benefit low- and moderate-income (LMI) persons

Aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight

Meet a need that is particularly urgent (referred to as an urgent need)

HUD maintains that 50 percent of CDBG-DR funding must be used for the benefit of LMI persons. Plans

and programs should be developed to meet this important funding threshold.

After Congress approves disaster funding, HUD publishes the allocations, waivers and any alternative

requirements in a Federal Register notice. Grantees—typically states or entitlement communities—must

conduct an assessment to determine critical, unmet needs for long-term disaster recovery. Based on their

findings and public input, grantees submit a disaster recovery Action Plan to HUD.

The Action Plan’s Role in Funding

It takes an act of Congress to appropriate these special CDBG-DR funds, which can take months. The

approval of the Action Plan is the first step in receiving CDBG-DR funds; therefore, having a

foundational Action Plan in place before the disaster strikes can greatly accelerate the process. Without an Action Plan in place, significant delays can occur.

Clear direction, particularly when it comes to funding opportunities, can help victims get back on their feet

much more quickly. The months leading up to the appropriation can then be used to fully assess the damage

and unmet needs of the area. Instead of starting from point zero, those in charge of relief, recovery and

rehabilitation with an already-documented Action Plan can adjust and amend it to sharpen their response.





---

Online:

https://www.hudexchange.info/

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD

http://www.passaiccountynj.org/


http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD

http://www.passaiccountynj.org/

*** This post is Part Three of a six-part series by ProSource Technologies to assist state and local governments with disaster recovery planning. Please e-mail [email protected] to receive electronic notifications of each article as they are released. ProSource is a professional consulting firm specializing in right of way/site acquisition, relocation, environmental, and disaster and emergency management services for public and private clients. Experience with large-scale recovery efforts around the country has given ProSource the knowledge and capability to help other communities with disaster preparedness planning, as well as manage their critical, finite resources when disaster strikes.











Key Components of a Disaster Recovery Action Plan – Questions to Ask

To be eligible for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding through

the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a community must evaluate the key

components of a disaster recovery Action Plan: housing, public infrastructure, economic

development, and planning and administration. Below, we define the activities within each of these

components and provide questions to guide thoughtful development of programs that adhere to CDBG-DR

program objectives and requirements—in advance of disaster.

Housing

After a disaster, it is essential to engage in activities that restore and improve the housing stock, which

includes new construction, rehabilitation or reconstruction for rental; owner-occupied single-family; or

multifamily dwellings.

Questions to ask:

What are our high-risk housing areas?

Are they single-family homes or rental communities?

Is the area primarily low income?

Do we have up-to-date census information that will identify the immediate and long-term needs

of this community that are likely to follow a disaster?

Does our Consolidated Plan address any issues likely to arise in the wake of a disaster in these

high-risk areas?

Public Infrastructure

The components of our public infrastructure—including schools, health care facilities, and water and

wastewater facilities—may require rebuilding or replacement following a natural disaster.

Questions to ask:

Do we, as a community, have adequate funding to pay for disaster clearance and debris removal

from public buildings that are damaged as a result of a disaster?

How vulnerable are our public services to different natural disasters?

Economic Development

Local economies can be hit just as hard by a disaster as tangible infrastructure. Activities that revitalize

economic activity or promote economic growth include job training and workforce development loans,

grants to businesses, economic base revitalization, and improvements to commercial and retail districts.

Questions to ask:

Do we have areas that need additional workforce?

Do we have a segment of the workforce trained and credentialed in disaster recovery-related areas

such as lead abatement, green building, construction, mitigation and code enforcement?

Planning and Administration Activities related to the planning and execution of community development activities assisted by CDBG-

DR funding include hiring of staff and related costs required for overall management, planning,

coordination, monitoring, reporting and evaluation.

Questions to ask:

Given that the funding available for these activities would be limited to 20 percent of the grant

amount, do we have an adequate process in place to document the salaries of staff members that

would be allocated to disaster recovery efforts?

What tasks will be required of existing staff to handle in the disaster recovery effort?

Is it more cost effective to hire a consulting firm?

Utilizing a consulting firm experienced in the disaster recovery process can be helpful to kick-start the

funding process. In many cases, they can step in and facilitate the change more quickly than grantees can

mobilize and change staffing responsibilities to accommodate changing administrative needs. Disaster

recovery consultants can draw on their expertise to assist in navigating the components of an Action Plan

and provide feedback and direction regarding program creation.





---

Online:

http://portal.hud.gov/

***

This post is Part Four of a six-part part series by ProSource Technologies to assist state and local

governments with disaster recovery planning. Please e-mail [email protected] to receive

electronic notifications of each article as they are released.






http://portal.hud.gov/











Citizen Engagement and Participation

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is a Department of Housing and Urban

Development (HUD) initiative that provides flexible grants to help cities, counties and states recover from

presidentially declared disasters. To be eligible for CDBG Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding, a

community must create a disaster recovery Action Plan that describes the needs, strategies and projected

uses of the disaster recovery funds. A vital, required element of an Action Plan is citizen engagement

and participation.

Citizens who engage and participate in planning before disaster strikes can help prepare an Action Plan that

considers current housing, infrastructure, economic development, and planning and administration needs—

which, in turn, will help avoid pitfalls, delays and waste in the future. This preparedness plan will become

the foundation for a “smart” Action Plan that will fulfill CDBG-DR funding eligibility criteria, which

includes demonstrable citizen participation in developing the recovery strategy.

Citizen participation is not elective; it is an explicit requirement per Section 104(a)(2) of the Housing and

Community Development Act and by 24 CFR 570.486(a)(6) regulations. The primary goal is to provide

citizens—especially low- and moderate-income citizens of the community where CDBG-funded activities

will take place—with an opportunity to participate in an advisory role in the planning, implementation and

assessment of programs and projects.

Incorporating citizen engagement and participation into the preparedness plan before disaster

strikes allows community leaders to spend more time handling the day-to-day needs of the

community in the midst of a disaster. By learning about specific concerns and vulnerabilities in advance

of a disaster, communities can direct their focus to assess the actual damage, compare it to the needs

assessment, and determine the projected uses and strategies to disburse CDBG-DR funding while

recovering from a disaster. A well-thought-out plan created with the direct input of the community in

advance of disaster provides a solid foundation on which decisions can be made quickly, helping to expedite

the disbursement of disaster relief funds as they become available.

Reaching out to the community before disaster strikes also helps to raise awareness of the possibility of a

catastrophic event, quell unfounded fears with information and a sense of engagement, and improve

individual and community readiness for disaster. It also reduces potential legal challenges and citizen

complaints, as opportunities for community input are explicitly provided.

Every community is different, as will be the disaster that could strike it. Incorporating citizen engagement

and participation into the preparedness plan will result in a community that is more informed, engaged and

prepared when faced with disaster.

---

Online:


***

This post is Part Five of a six-part series by ProSource Technologies to assist state and local governments



















The Road to Resilience

Resilience is a key component of disaster recovery—it reflects the dynamic process a community undergoes

in order to become strong, healthy and successful again after an adverse event. A community that does

not plan for disaster in advance diminishes its chance to be as resilient as possible and may lose

opportunities for timely recovery funding. Communities need to develop the key elements of resiliency,

which are stamina, flexibility and adaptability.

All three come into play in the wake of a disaster. Needs can arise that require unprecedented solutions and

collaborations between unfamiliar partners. Existing administrators may become overwhelmed while

managing recovery funding from multiple sources under unfamiliar regulations that affect new programs.

In spite of the challenges, a community can emerge a more resilient place if those in charge of the

recovery mission understand how to apply available funds to meet urgent needs early on and to invest in

projects that provide the most long-term benefits.

Key to becoming more resilient is creating a preparedness plan, which entails understanding the elements

and requirements that need to be met—particularly in regard to funding sources—in advance of a disaster.

For instance, disaster relief funds authorized through the Stafford Act will not be sufficient for long-term

recovery. The greatest source of relief and recovery funding will be the US Department of Housing

and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery

(CDBG-DR). CDBG-DR funds are disaster-specific congressional appropriations with complicated rules

and regulations that vary based on the region and the disaster.

HUD offers disaster planning and recovery guidance to help communities prepare and become resilient.

The HUDexchange.info website includes a variety of information on CDBG-DR programs to help

communities with their recovery efforts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also offers a number of resources to help with

disaster recovery planning, including the National Disaster Recovery Framework and the Comprehensive

Preparedness Guide. For information on these and other disaster planning tools, communities can consult

the FEMA website.


https://www.fema.gov/

A resilient community:

Prepares so it can address change in the wake of disaster

Engages its stakeholders individually and collectively

Identifies physical and economic vulnerabilities and strategies for mitigation

Identifies resources for acute emergency relief and long-term solutions

Develops an Action Plan for disaster recovery

Adapts to evolving circumstances, whether it is volatile weather, health and sanitary issues,

emergency regulatory changes, or emerging stakeholder concerns

Commits to the process of recovery





---

Online:



***

This post is Part Six of a six-part series by ProSource Technologies to assist state and local governments

with disaster recovery planning. Please e-mail [email protected] to receive notifications

of future related articles as they are released.








natural disaster preparedness fileplanning provisions and require local mitigation plans as a...

Documents