It should be left up to the government when it come to natural disasters. Globally it appears that the toll of death and damage in natural disasters is increasing (Natural Disasters 1). On Friday, April,1997, the Red River flooded over the dikes into Grand forks, North Dakota. At the end of Saturday, the 19th, the flood waters had spread over a large area of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks was left in flames.The damage was so extensive that is was weeks before people could return and rebuild their homes and their lives. Natural disasters are something the government agencies can predict and are able to give warning for. The government is in a far better position to protect people from natural disasters then they are on their own. They have …show more content…
On April 1, 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed the executive order that created the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). From day one, FEMA has remained committed to protecting and serving the American people. On March 1, 2003, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The primary mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the Nation from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by leading and supporting the Nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation ("About the Agency" 2018). FEMA also help provide information to learn about the hazards that may strike our community, providing us with warning and evacuation (Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness, …show more content…
It is the government job to provide protection and assistance to the people. Writer Elizabeth Ferris wrote that “governments have a responsibility to protect people within their territory from harm, including such diverse threats as terrorists to deadly diseases. This responsibility also means protecting them from disasters and environmental change, including the effects of climate change.” When disaster strikes, the affected people who are forced to leave their home look towards the government as a last resort. Even small government look forward to government aid. Emergency aid is the important role of the government. By helping local communities rebuild, federal programs have often created targets for the next natural disaster by ensuring an ongoing cycle of
... given the help that they deserved. One can only hope that the government learns from this past encounter with a natural disaster so destructive and hope that safety measures are properly taken in the future and that history will not repeat itself.
Homeland Security. (2008, 12). National Incident Management System. Retrieved 10 22, 2011, from FEMA: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/NIMS_core.pdf
In 2003, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was rolled into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s responsibilities are to prepare, protect, respond, and recover from diminish all hazards. There was a mass coverage about the failure for FEMA to act immediately to Katrina, but once they were able to get things organized such as giving food and water, and setting up the tent and shelters communities can be strong and move on.
The Coast Guard, for instance, rescued some 34,000 people in New Orleans alone, and many ordinary citizens commandeered boats, offered food and shelter, and did whatever else they could to help their neighbors. Yet the government–particularly the federal government–seemed unprepared for the disaster. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) took days to establish operations in New Orleans, and even then did not seem to have a sound plan of action. Officials, even including President George W. Bush, seemed unaware of just how bad things were in New Orleans and elsewhere: how many people were stranded or missing; how many homes and businesses had been damaged; how much food, water and aid was needed. Katrina had left in her wake what one reporter called a “total disaster zone” where people were “getting absolutely
Many people have lost their homes so the government had to help with the construction of houses. Many infrastructures, and buildings were destroyed. as well as the. Cottages were built for the survivors of the earthquake. The Congress gave funds in order to reconstruct many public buildings that were damaged by the earthquake or fire.
Both man-made and natural disasters are often devastating, resource draining and disruptive. Having a basic plan ready for these types of disaster events is key to the success of executing and implementing, as well as assessing the aftermath. There are many different ways to create an emergency operations plan (EOP) to encompass a natural and/or man-made disaster, including following the six stage planning process, collection of information, and identification of threats and hazards. The most important aspect of the US emergency management system in preparing for, mitigating, and responding to man-made and natural disasters is the creation, implementation and assessment of a community’s EOP.
Thousands of people watched their homes, loved ones, memories and lives be washed away with nowhere to go. The state and local officials are supposed to by law, be responsible for the management of the first response to any disaster.(Williams) Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin did not do their part. There was a plan in place, it just was not followed. "The actions and inactions of Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to apply the previously established evacuation plans of the state and city." (the heartland institution) Their lack of taking action was the cause of many peoples lives. Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot claim they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to evacuate so many people. There were detailed written plans in place and they were ready to evacuate more than a million people.(heartland) The thing that bothers me the most, is that lives could...
The US government should be well-prepared for the hurricane since it’s a modern, developed, wealthy country. Hurricane Katrina definitely showed how well the United States protect its own people. Knowing hurricanes are natural disasters, which cannot be prevented from happening. Although the US has advanced technology to spot the natural disasters much easier than other countries, it still couldn’t provide the best for the citizens. The government is not prepared for the storm, mainly because they began to play a role in the disaster. People were warned to leave before the hurricane, but many poor people had no access to transportations, which also caused hundreds of thousands of people were influenced.
The 109th Congress questioned the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after Hurricane Katrina. Congress called for mandatory reports from the white house, Inspectors Generals, the Government Accountability Office, and others. A common denominator in all of these findings were that some of the losses brought by Katrina were caused, at least in part, by deficiencies within FEMA; such as: questionable leadership decisions, organizational failures, and inadequate legal authorities. As a result of these findings, Congress further utilized their control strategies to reorganize FEMA, and restructure the way responsibilities were handled following emergencies. Congress passed the “Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act of 2006” in order to accomplish these revisions. This newly enacted bill reorganized FEMA, expanded its authority, established new leadership positions and position requirements within FEMA, and imposed new conditions and requirements on the operations of the agency. Congress also utilized the appropriations process to influence this portion of bureaucracy by enacting supplemental appropriations, one-time waivers of requirements and temporary
Federal intervention in the aftermath of natural disasters began after the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. This 8.3 magnitude earthquake killed 478, and left over 250,000 homeless. While the disaster itself was obviously unavoidable, the subsequent fires that burned throughout the city were a result of poor planning. (1, 17) In an effort to consolidate existing programs, and to improve the nation’s level of preparedness, President Carter created FEMA in 1979. Initially, FEMA was praised for improving communication between various levels of government, and multiple agencies during a crisis. (1,19)
Gordon, K., & Emerson, J. (2010). Governing through a disaster: Lessons from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2010/08/07/206563/governing-through-a-disaster/
The lack of response dates back to the merger of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was formed in 2002 “in response to the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001”(Adamski, p4). The function of DHS is to provide a “unified defense structure against the threat of terrorism and other potential hazards” (Adamski, p4(Homeland Security Act of 2002)). In 2003 the Bush administration reformed FEMA and it was moved under the umbrella of the DHS. With that, the merger changed the mission of FEMA, from its primary focus of disaster response to counter terrorism. Removing FEMA from an independent agency which handled disaster response, and merge with DHS which responded to counter terrorism, according to Adamski, the merge sparked concerns that the coverage of natural disasters would...
Their role is to ensure that those who help in the recovery are trained to respond to any such disaster.
... middle of paper ... ... What can we do to be prepared for future natural disasters? The federal government began increasing the height and strength of the levees shortly after Katrina, and millions of dollars have been spent on coastal restoration programs.
FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an organization of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially formed by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and applied for two Executive Orders on April 1, 1979. The initial first response to a disaster is the job of local emergency services with the help of the surrounding sources. A major disaster can be a result of tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. The event must be more than the state or local governments can handle alone.