IEM in the News
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This Is the Federal Law Trump Invoked When Declaring COVID-19 a National Emergency
LAW & CRIME – President Donald Trump declared a national emergency during a news conference after 3 p.m. on Friday. This means that Trump invoked the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (“The Stafford Act”) to combat the novel coronavirus COVID-19.
FEMA preparing for possible coronavirus emergency declaration
NBC NEWS – The Federal Emergency Management Agency is planning for the possibility that President Donald Trump could make an emergency declaration to bring in extra funds and personnel to assist the administration’s coronavirus response, according to internal documents obtained by NBC News.
Should Texas declare a state of emergency over coronavirus? 6 things to know
DALLAS MORNING NEWS – As more Texans test positive for coronavirus disease 2019, state lawmakers and health advocates have begun to ask whether — and when — Gov. Greg Abbott might declare some kind of emergency.
Governments’ Response to the Coronavirus Could Lessen Its Economic Impact—or Increase It
BARRON’S – As the coronavirus spreads, the economic fallout will depend in part on the type of emergency declarations made by the federal, state, and local governments.
States and White House consider disaster declaration to deal with coronavirus outbreak
CNN – As concerns over the coronavirus outbreak grow across the country, state officials and the White House have been in ongoing discussions about whether to declare a disaster or emergency declaration — a move that would, among other things, make it easier to release funds.
This is the 1988 law Trump could use to trigger an ’emergency’ response to coronavirus
RAW STORY – Passed by Congress during President Ronald Reagan’s second term, the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 was subsequently invoked by President Bill Clinton in 2000. Law & Crime reporter Jerry Lambe explains how that 1988 law might be invoked again — this time by President Donald Trump in response to coronavirus.
Former Emergency Managers: Act Now Before the Next Storm
Hurricane Dorian was the fourth Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic in the last four years—three of which impacted Florida. Whether a glancing blow like Dorian or a direct impact like Hurricanes Michael, Irma and Maria these storms serve to remind us that we need to do everything possible to prepare our communities for more frequent, severe storms. The recent flooding caused by Tropical Storm Imelda, which for the second time in a little over two years dumped multiple feet of rain in the Houston area, also reminds us that even storms categorized as less severe can be devastating. Acting now will save lives, preserve businesses and homes, improve our quality of life, reduce response and recovery costs and make our communities more attractive places to live and work.