As several storms have recently swept through the Atlantic and Pacific, it’s hard to believe that it has been a full five years since Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee struck the East Coast.
As the director and deputy director of Region III’s Individual Assistance Branch, we deployed to Maryland to work directly with the state and support their efforts in responding to and recovering from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.
While the storms brought many tragedies, many were avoided because of everyone’s work, including state and federal agencies, voluntary agencies...

Incidents described as “thousand year storms and floods” and “the worst U. disaster since Hurricane Sandy” claimed the lives of more than 58 people in Louisiana, West Virginia and South Carolina over the last year.
These disasters often remind us of the devastating impacts that families and their communities face after they strike.
After emergency life saving operations, food and shelter assistance are the most important priorities with which emergency managers must contend. During a disaster members of the community seek opportunities to help each other.
Neighbors, faith-based organizations, businesses and volunteer organizations that may not normally not focus on helping disaster survivors often chip in to lend a helping hand wherever it is needed.
This assistance is a key part of a disaster response and recovery, but in the past has not often been fully coordinated with emergency managers.
Thanks to ongoing work by the Department of Homeland Security and our Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, we’re improving our ability to coordinate...
Water can be life-saving or a source of sporting fun, but not when it’s filling tens of thousands of basements and causing costly destruction to homes, businesses and critical infrastructure.
On August 11, 2014, up to six inches of rain fell in just a few hours throughout the Detroit metro area, where this scenario became all too real for residents there. Wright, FEMA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for Insurance and Mitigation, carries FEMA’s longest title. Wright is the Director of FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Programs. Wright joined us last week in Baton Rouge to answer the questions you’ve asked our call centers and on social media.1.
Once insurance options were exhausted, FEMA disaster assistance became an important resource to help survivors take their first steps toward recovery. How do I purchase a flood insurance policy, and when will it become active?
However, for many, there was still work to be done. Roy: Flood insurance can be purchased in a number of ways.
The easiest way to start shopping for flood insurance is to start with...