POLITICO – FEMA officials have sought to reassure the public that the agency has enough money to meet its “life-saving” responsibilities. But Elizabeth Zimmerman, who ran FEMA’s disaster response office in the Obama administration, said Washington’s ability to pay for recovery after the hurricanes remains “a big concern.”
POLITICO Energy, October 7, 2024 – Washington’s ability to pay for recovering from the back-to-back disasters is “a big concern,” said Elizabeth Zimmerman, who ran FEMA’s disaster response office in the Obama administration. She added, “It could be very devastating to the financial aspects of what the federal government has.”
The New York Times, October 8, 2024 – It can also pull staff away from long-term recovery operations, such as helping communities rebuild infrastructure with federal money, according to Beth Zimmerman, who led disaster operations for FEMA during the Obama administration.
The agency is responsible for ensuring that supplies like bottled water are stockpiled and available, according to Beth Zimmerman, who managed disaster response for FEMA during the Obama administration. But distributing those supplies, she said, was the job of state and local officials, and aid groups.
Preparation is crucial in disaster management. This truth underscores the recently released Pre-Disaster Housing Planning Initiative (PDHI) 2023 Final Report by FEMA and HUD, which offers a deep dive into the critical need for preemptive housing recovery strategies.
In the intricate world of federal disaster policy, changes are often like small tremors in FEMA’s Recovery programs. However, the proposed updates to FEMA’s Individual Assistance program signal a monumental tectonic shift in favor of disaster survivors in the United States.
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