Natural Hazards Observer
| January 2006 | Volume XXX | Number 3 |
2006 Homeland Security Appropriations
On October 18, the president signed the Fiscal Year 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations Act (Public Law 109-90), providing approximately $31.9 billion for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and adopting many of the organizational changes proposed by the department in July (see the September 2005 Observer, p. 5). Among the appropriations, the law provides $4 billion for a new Preparedness Directorate (the president has nominated George Foresman, former assistant to the governor of Virginia for commonwealth preparedness, to lead this directorate), including:
- $550 million for formula-based grants;
- $400 million for law enforcement terrorism prevention grants;
- $1.15 billion for discretionary spending (includes $765 million for high-threat, high-density urban areas);
- $50 million for the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program;
- $346.3 million for training, exercises, technical assistance, and other programs;
- $655 million for firefighter assistance grants;
- $185 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants;
- $625.5 million for infrastructure protection and information security; and
- $44.9 million for the U.S. Fire Administration.
For response and recovery programs and activities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will receive $2.6 billion, including:
- $204 million for preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery operations;
- $1.77 billion for disaster relief;
- $153 million for emergency food and shelter;
- $200 million for flood map modernization;
- $50 million for the National Predisaster Mitigation Fund; and
- $34 million for the National Disaster Medical System.
The appropriations act and the accompanying conference report (109-241), which contains more details, are available in any federal repository library and on the Library of Congress Web site at http://thomas.loc.gov/.
Laws Increase Borrowing Authority for NFIP
On November 21, the president signed the National Flood Insurance Program Further Enhanced Borrowing Authority Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-106), temporarily allowing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to borrow up to $18.5 billion to settle flood insurance claims during the unprecedented 2005 claims year. An amendment made to the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 in September (Public Law 109-65) increased the borrowing authority from $1.5 billion to $3.5 billion through fiscal year 2008. The new law further increases this authority, the total amount that the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may borrow from the Treasury, with the president’s approval, to carry out the flood insurance program, to $18.5 billion. Both laws can be found in any federal repository library and on the Library of Congress Web site at http://thomas.loc.gov/.
Corps to Fully Fund Rebuilding of New Orleans Levees
According to a decision from the assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, the rebuilding of the New Orleans levees will move forward at full federal expense. The restoration will be accomplished under the emergency authority of Public Law 84-99 and will provide for the coordinated restoration of the hurricane, flood, and storm damage reduction projects to prestorm conditions.
Under normal cost sharing, nonfederal sponsors, who in this case are the levee boards for each parish, would be required to pay a total of approximately $249 million to repair these facilities. In light of the devastation to the city of New Orleans, this decision will relieve the burden from the local sponsors of providing funding and will allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move expeditiously toward restoring a prestorm level of protection.
In related news, the Corps is releasing available data relevant to the performance of the hurricane and storm protection system around New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. This data is available at https://ipet.wes.army.mil/. Additional data will be added as it becomes available.
FY 2006 PDM Grant Applications Now Being Accepted
The application period for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Predisaster Mitigation (PDM) program for fiscal year (FY) 2006 is open as of November 21, 2005. The deadline for FY 2006 PDM grant applications to be submitted to FEMA is 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 3, 2006.
The PDM program provides funds to states, territories, Indian tribal governments, and communities for hazard mitigation planning and the implementation of mitigation projects prior to a disaster event. Funding these plans and projects reduces overall risks to the population and structures while also reducing reliance on funding from actual disaster declarations. PDM grants are awarded on a competitive basis and without reference to state allocations, quotas, or other formula-based allocation(s) of funds. Congress has appropriated $50 million for competitive grants, technical assistance, and program support for the FY 2006 PDM program.
Availability of PDM funds is dependent upon congressional reauthorization of the program, expected by December 31, 2005. The deadline for having a FEMA-approved mitigation plan to be eligible to receive an FY 2006 PDM program project grant is April 14, 2006.
Applicants must use the electronic grants (eGrants) management system at https://portal.fema.gov/ to submit a PDM grant application. The FY 2006 PDM program guidance documents provide information and guidance on implementing the PDM program in FY 2006, including program requirements, eligibility, and grants management. These guidance documents may be downloaded at http://www.fema.gov/fima/pdm.shtm.
FDIC Chairman to Lead Gulf Coast Federal Recovery and Rebuilding
On November 1, Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the president, appointed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) chairman Donald E. Powell as coordinator of recovery and rebuilding in the Gulf Coast region. As coordinator, Powell will report to the president through Chertoff and be responsible for developing specific goals and coordinating policies and programs for mid- to long-term federal recovery and rebuilding efforts in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He will serve as the administration’s primary point of contact regarding these efforts with Congress, state and local governments, the private sector, and community leaders and is expected to coordinate federal involvement in support of state and local governments on issues ranging from economic development to infrastructure rebuilding.
Smart Buildings to Guide Future First Responders
The best response to a building emergency is a fast and informed one. To achieve these objectives, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is working with the building industry and the public safety and information technology communities to determine how “intelligent” building systems can be used by firefighters, police, and other responders to accurately assess emergency conditions in real time.
NIST is working with industry to develop standards to allow manufacturers to create intelligent building systems that use various types of communication networks (including wireless networks) to assist responders in assessing and mitigating emergencies. The systems would send information, such as building floor plans and data from motion, heat, biochemical, and other sensors and video cameras, directly to fire and police dispatchers who can then communicate detailed information about the scene to the responders. Building sensor information includes the status of a specific building’s mechanical systems, elevators, lighting, security system, and fire systems as well as the locations of building occupants and temperature and smoke conditions.
NIST has released video presentations that demonstrate how an intelligent building response program would work. The videos outline team efforts to create a system of interoperable data content and communications standards linking responders with the building systems. Information on the program and the downloadable video presentations are available at http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/ibr/.
Annual Stafford Act Updates
Under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, each year the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) adjusts the statewide per capita impact indicator (per capita cost of a disaster that qualifies a state for disaster assistance) and reexamines the maximum dollar amounts available for assistance under the Individuals and Households Program (IHP) and for Small Project Grants to state and local governments and private facilities. This year’s adjustments are based on an increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, of 3.6 percent. For any single disaster or major emergency declared on or after October 1, 2005, the statewide impact indicator is $1.18 (the countywide indicator is $2.94), the maximum amount of IHP financial assistance provided to an individual or household is $27,200, the maximum amount of repair assistance is $5,400, the maximum amount of replacement assistance is $10,900, and the maximum amount of any Small Project Grant is $57,500.
Details about these revisions are available in the October 7, 2005, Federal Register, Vol. 70, No. 194, pp. 58734-58735, which can be found in any federal repository library or online at http://www.access.gpo.gov/. To learn more about the maximum amount of IHP assistance, contact Berl Jones at (202) 646-4235. For information about the other adjustments, contact James A. Walke at (202) 646-3834. Send written correspondence to FEMA, 500 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20472.
DHS Issues Further Guidance as NIMS Compliance Deadline Approaches
In October, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) Compliance Requirements packages to U.S. governors. The packages, intended to provide information on the NIMS FY 2006 implementation requirements, included a letter, a summary of the NIMS implementation schedule, NIMS state and territory compliance activities, and NIMS tribal government and local jurisdiction compliance activities.
The letter and the accompanying matrices outline the important steps that state, territorial, tribal, and local entities must take during FY 2006 (October 1, 2005–September 30, 2006) to become fully compliant with NIMS. Jurisdictions will be required to meet the FY 2006 NIMS implementation requirements as a condition of receiving federal preparedness funding assistance in FY 2007.
These documents and additional information about NIMS implementation and resources for achieving compliance are available through the NIMS Integration Center (NIC). The NIC Web page, http://www.fema.gov/nims/, is updated regularly with information about NIMS and guidance for implementation. Other recent additions to the site include an updated NIMS National Standard Curriculum Training Development Guidance and the new FY06 NIMS Training Requirements. For more information, contact Gil Jamieson, NIMS Integration Center, 500 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646-3850; e-mail: NIMS-Integration-Center@dhs.gov.
National Emergency Responder Credentialing System
The development of a national credentialing system is a fundamental component of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). According to NIMS, “credentialing involves providing documentation that can authenticate and verify the certification and identity of designated incident managers and emergency responders” to ensure that response personnel “possess a minimum common level of training, currency, experience, physical and medical fitness, and capability” for the roles they are tasked to fill.
The NIMS Integration Center (NIC) initiated the development of a national credentialing system to help governments at all levels identify, request, and dispatch qualified emergency responders from other jurisdictions when needed. Such a system will ensure that personnel resources requested from another jurisdiction to assist in a response operation are adequately trained and skilled.
The NIC will work with existing state, territorial, and discipline-specific credentialing bodies toward national recognition for multijurisdictional response under mutual aid agreements. To support this initiative, the NIC is using working groups to identify job titles that should be credentialed as well as the minimum qualification, certification, training, education, licensing, and physical fitness requirements for each position. Working groups will represent incident management, emergency medical services, fire/hazmat, law enforcement, medical and public health, public works, and search and rescue. For more information, read the frequently asked questions at http://www.fema.gov/pdf/nims/credent_faq.pdf or send an e-mail to NIMS-Integration-Center@dhs.gov.
FCC Expands EAS Rules and Seeks Comments on Next Generation
In November, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a first report and order to help ensure that consumers using digital broadcast and subscription television and radio services have access to emergency alert and warning information. Noting the ever-increasing use of digital technologies by Americans, the first report and order expands the commission’s current Emergency Alert System’s (EAS) rules to include providers of digital broadcast and cable television, digital audio broadcasting, satellite radio, and direct broadcast satellite services. With the exception of Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) service, all affected entities must comply with these new requirements by December 31, 2006. DBS services must comply no later than May 31, 2007.
The commission also adopted a further notice of proposed rulemaking that seeks comments on how it can best help develop a next-generation alert and warning system that takes full advantage of digital media’s potential. The commission seeks comments on the type of system architecture and common protocols that would be required in such a system and asks questions regarding specific technologies. In addition, the further notice seeks comments on issues relating to the participation of state and local authorities in the EAS system and how a next-generation EAS could more effectively reach individuals with hearing and vision disabilities and non-English speaking individuals. Comments are due by January 24, 2006.
To find out more, read the notice of proposed rulemaking in the November 25, 2005, Federal Register, Vol. 70, No. 276, pp. 71072-71077, which can be found in any federal repository library or online at http://www.access.gpo.gov/, or contact Jean Ann Collins, FCC, Office of Homeland Security, Enforcement Bureau at (202) 418–1199. The 98-page first report and order and further notice of proposed rulemaking is available at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-191A1.pdf.
DOE Web Site Supports Energy-Saving Reconstruction in the Gulf Coast
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a Disaster Recovery and Building Reconstruction Web site at http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ as part of its continuing effort to support hurricane victims in the Gulf Coast region. The site provides relevant resources and information for consumers, state and local officials, and builders and contractors and encourages cost-effective, durable, and energy-efficient reconstruction in areas devastated by recent hurricanes. It includes information on training opportunities and a wide range of guidelines, fact sheets, and case studies developed by the DOE, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other organizations.
DHS Launches Program to Decentralize First Responder Training
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will begin implementing a new Cooperative Training Outreach Program (CO-OP) designed to expand first responder preparedness training across the country by permitting the states to identify and approve institutions within their states, territories, or tribal entities that can adopt and deliver the department’s standardized training courses. It will enable state administrative agencies (SAAs) to better manage and track terrorism preparedness training within their states, territories, or tribal entities based on their individual requirements and homeland security strategies.
CO-OP will be implemented in three phases throughout fiscal year 2006. During the first phase, the SAAs will be able to identify and approve state institutions, such as community colleges, public safety academies, and state universities that can deliver the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness’ (SLGCP) curricula for first responder training. During the second phase, the SLGCP will provide the SAAs with electronic toolkits that list the training courses, the full course curriculum, and the training support materials. CO-OP will be institutionalized during the third phase of the program, as state sponsored, certified instructors begin delivering the courses.
For more information, read the Office for Domestic Preparedness Information Bulletin (No. 193, October 20, 2005) at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/info193.pdf.
Program Aims to Strengthen Banks’ Role in Accelerating Small Business Recovery
Small businesses in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be eligible for a unique new Small Business Administration-backed loan of up to $150,000. The one year Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan (GO Loan) Program was launched to help speed financing for recovery and rebuilding. The loans will be delivered through local banks and will be handled under an expedited process that can deliver a response in 24 hours or less. GO Loans will be available through September 30, 2006, to small businesses in the counties and parishes of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and western Florida that are included in the presidential disaster declarations for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the contiguous counties and parishes. For more information about the program, visit http://www.sba.gov/financing/goloans/.
FEMA’s Response to 2005 Hurricane Season
The 2005 hurricane season was the most active in U.S. history with a total of 26 named storms. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) responded in record ways to six storms that made landfall along the U.S. coast. In addition to Katrina, FEMA also responded to Hurricanes Dennis, Ophelia, Rita, and Wilma and Tropical Storm Cindy. Combined, the six storms represent the most widespread and catastrophic series of disasters in U.S. history. Hurricane and tropical storm damage in 2005 spurred emergency and disaster declarations in a record 44 states and the District of Columbia to address the expense of sheltering millions of evacuees forced from their homes by Katrina and Rita.
As of November 30, 2005, FEMA had provided more than $22 billion dollars in relief funds in response to the six storms, and that figure is expected to rise significantly over the coming months and years as relief operations continue. The $22 billion dollars is the most granted during a single year by FEMA and represents the fastest delivery of relief funds in FEMA’s history.
The agency’s data processing centers collected a record three million applications for assistance throughout the 2005 hurricane season, almost triple the number of applications received after four hurricanes hit the Florida coast in 2004. Until last year, FEMA had never taken more than a million applications for any single year.
For the first time ever, the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) utilized all three of its components at the same time: medical response teams, patient evacuation, and definitive hospital care. The NDMS deployed more than 5,000 health care professionals and treated more than 160,000 patients during the hurricane season, 16 times more patients than treated in any other single year.
FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue teams also responded in record numbers, dispatching 68 teams consisting of more than 3,000 personnel. More than 6,500 rescues were made during the hurricane season by these teams. Thirty-eight of these teams were deployed to assist in the rescue efforts for Hurricane Katrina, marking the largest deployment of search and rescue teams for any single event.
In all, FEMA set records for the number of commodities distributed, the number of personnel deployed, the number of patients treated, the number of people rescued, and the number of families and governments assisted during the 2005 hurricane season. FEMA expects additional records will be broken as work with state and local officials continues to rebuild the Gulf Coast region.
Read the press release at http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=20982.
Hurricane Season 2005 Tops the Charts
On November 29, one day before the end of hurricane season, and three days before Tropical Storm Epsilon strengthened into 2005’s 14th hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean (only the fifth December hurricane recorded in more than 120 years), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) released the storm stats for 2005 and predicted additional active hurricane seasons in the years to come. According to NOAA, the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the busiest on record. Breaking records that stood for decades, the season was the first to see 26 named storms, 13 hurricanes (excluding Epsilon), 3 category 5 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes (category 3 or higher) hitting the United States.
NOAA scientists had predicted that 2005 would be an extremely active hurricane season, forecasting near-record activity in an early August report. The 26 named storms topped the forecast range of 18 to 21, the 13 hurricanes inched above the forecast of 9 to 11 and the 7 major hurricanes fell within the forecast range of 5 to 7. Five hurricanes (Dennis, Katrina, Ophelia, Rita, and Wilma) and three tropical storms (Arlene, Cindy, and Tammy) directly affected the United States.
Letters of the Greek alphabet were used to name storms for the first time since storms began acquiring names in 1953, as Hurricane Wilma exhausted the original list of 21 names. Tropical Storm Alpha and Hurricane Beta hit the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, respectively. Tropical Storm Gamma brought deadly flooding to parts of Central America. Tropical Storm Delta largely stayed over open water then moved across the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa. Tropical Storm Epsilon formed on the next to last day of the Atlantic hurricane season over the central Atlantic Ocean and gained hurricane strength days later.
The Atlantic Basin is in the active phase of a multidecadal cycle in which optimal conditions in the ocean and atmosphere, including warmer-than-average sea-surface temperatures and low wind shear, enhance hurricane activity. This increase in the number and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes can span multiple decades (approximately 20 to 30 years). NOAA will make its official 2006 season forecast in May, prior to the June 1 start to the season, and urges hurricane-prone residents to take proactive measures now.
Read the press release, download graphic and audio files from the news conference, or link to additional information, including more noteworthy records set in 2005, at http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2540.htm.
NSF Summer Institute for Undergraduates in
Hazards
and Disaster Research
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the Disaster Research Center (DRC) at the University of Delaware funding for the establishment of a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site to provide hands-on research training and mentoring on the social science aspects of disasters. Each year, ten students from a wide variety of social science disciplines will be selected to participate in a nine-week summer institute. All transportation and lodging expenses will be covered for the students, who will also receive a generous stipend for the summer. If selected, students must have completed their sophomore year by the time they enter the DRC-REU program. Minorities, women, and students from poorer regions of the country are especially encouraged to apply. The 2006 summer program will begin on June 5. Applications are due February 1, 2006, and students admitted to the REU program will be notified by March 1, 2006. Program details, guidelines, and application materials can be found online at http://www.udel.edu/DRC/.