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Rebuilding Lives, Revitalizing Communities: Moving Forward

Rebuilding Lives, Revitalizing Communities - Five Years after Katrina and Rita

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Katrina, Rita, Wilma Recovery*
  • 3,149,513 registered for assistance
  • $8.18 billion distributed to families and individuals
  • $5.91 billion reimbursed to save lives, protect property and remove debris
  • $8.78 billion obligated to help communities repair and rebuild
  • $1.06 billion to mitigate against future damages

* includes recovery efforts for the states of Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas

Recovery Efforts Five Years After Katrina

Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated communities along the Gulf Coast, with Hurricanes Rita and Wilma adding to the destruction. States from Florida to Texas were faced with the simultaneous challenges of helping their own residents recover, while also helping Gulf Coast residents displaced by the hurricanes.

Under the leadership of the Obama Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has launched a number of initiatives to improve the pace of ongoing recovery efforts and help rebuild the communities that are the economic engines of the Gulf Coast. All of these efforts have focused on finding innovative solutions to better support state and local officials, remove bureaucratic red tape that delayed recovery projects for years, and give residents the assistance they need to move forward.

Stronger Support for Disaster Survivors

Expanding Access to Critical Information

This year, FEMA launched its first ever mobile website, making it easier to access critical information about what to do to prepare before, during and after a disaster. Disaster survivors can now also apply for help from FEMA and other federal partners directly through their web enabled mobile devices.

Connecting Residents with Recovery Needs

In December 2009, FEMA partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to offer disaster case management services to survivors with unmet disaster-related needs. Case managers will work one-on-one with disaster survivors to match needs, like paying utility bills or a security deposit for a new rental unit, with agencies and programs that can help to meet those needs.

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Improving Temporary Disaster Housing

In May 2010, FEMA’s Joint Housing Solutions Group-an interagency collaborative effort- entered its second year of pilot testing various housing units at the National Emergency Training Center. Data is being analyzed to evaluate the suitability of these units for use in meeting future disaster housing needs.

Helping Reunite Families Separated by Disaster

In 2008, FEMA established the National Emergency Family Register and Locator System (NEFRLS) and National Emergency Child Locator Center to reunite families and children separated by disaster. The system is currently being enhanced to increase the ease in usability. The new version is anticipated to be released by early 2011.

Encouraging Personal Preparedness

Just as local, state and federal governments prepare for response to disasters; it is every citizen’s responsibility to be prepared – not just for hurricanes, but for any emergency. FEMA continues to encourage every American to get prepared by visiting www.ready.gov.

Fresh Approaches to Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery

All-inclusive Approach to Planning

FEMA established two working groups to ensure that the unique needs of children and individuals with disabilities are part of all of our planning. The “Children’s Working Group” resulted from Administrator Fugate’s meetings with the National Commission on Children and Disasters, to ensure that during a disaster the unique needs of children are fully integrated into how FEMA administers this support to states and the public. FEMA also established the “Disability Working Group” to increase capacity for the emergency preparedness, response and recovery related access and functional needs of children and adults with disabilities.

Seeking Input from Advisors

FEMA established the National Advisory Council, as a result of the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, to incorporate tribal, state and local governments, private sector and non-governmental partner input in the development and revision of FEMA policies and strategies. The FEMA Administrator has consulted with the council for recommendations on issues that include public-private partnerships, access and functional needs, preparedness, and housing.

Improved Access to Shelter Information

FEMA continues to improve its National Shelter System, a coordinated nationwide database of emergency shelter information on potential shelter resources. The improved system includes an enhanced mapping function that allows state and local emergency managers to see – in real time – shelter locations, critical infrastructure, and geospatial elements.

Support for States Sheltering Evacuees

In November 2009, FEMA announced a streamlined reimbursement process for states (host-states) that provide shelter for residents evacuated from presidentially declared disaster areas. Under the new rule, host-states can be directly reimbursed by FEMA rather than seek reimbursement through a lengthier, more time-intensive, mutual aid process through the impacted state.

Planning for all Catastrophic Scenarios

FEMA is coordinating the development of detailed catastrophic response plans for hurricanes, earthquakes, biological attacks and other threats. This catastrophic planning initiative integrates plans at all levels of government and provides the basis for the continued improvement for all-hazards catastrophic incident guidance.

Improving Long-Term Recovery

In February 2010, FEMA in coordination with the interagency Long Term Disaster Recovery Working Group released a draft of the National Disaster Recovery Framework. The draft Framework was developed following extensive stakeholder outreach efforts undertaken by the interagency Long Term Disaster Recovery Working Group, established in October 2009 by President Obama and co-chaired by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan. Over 1,800 comments were received during the comment period. The report, which has been developed based upon input from federal agencies, key stakeholders, and the public, is in the final stages of interagency review and is expected to be released in the fall.

Engaging the Private Sector

FEMA recognizes that the private sector has a key role in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Administrator Fugate has met with representatives from many of the nation’s leading trade associations, private sector organizations and businesses to improve disaster planning and coordination at the operational level.

Recovery Photos

Last Modified: Wednesday, 25-Aug-2010 16:23:07 EDT