Highlights
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is the government's disaster relief agency, charged primarily with responding to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and acts of terrorism. Based in Washington, D.C., with offices around the country, FEMA has more than 2,600 full-time employees with another 4,000 on standby to respond to disasters.
FEMA was created in 1979, combining several agencies with disaster-related responsibilities. It operated as an independent agency until 2003, when it became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA provides grants to communities for disaster protection measures. After a disaster strikes,...
FEMA was created in 1979, combining several agencies with disaster-related responsibilities. It operated as an independent agency until 2003, when it became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA provides grants to communities for disaster protection measures. After a disaster strikes,...
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is the government's disaster relief agency, charged primarily with responding to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and acts of terrorism. Based in Washington, D.C., with offices around the country, FEMA has more than 2,600 full-time employees with another 4,000 on standby to respond to disasters.
FEMA was created in 1979, combining several agencies with disaster-related responsibilities. It operated as an independent agency until 2003, when it became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA provides grants to communities for disaster protection measures. After a disaster strikes, FEMA provides financial assistance and supplies for recovery and rebuilding. Under its public assistance program, FEMA reimburses local and state governments for expenses including overtime for emergency personnel, debris removal and repairs to public utilities. Individual homeowners and renters are also eligible for assistance for uninsured losses. FEMA came under criticism in 2004 in Florida, which was hit by four hurricanes in six weeks. A South Florida Sun-Sentinel investigation found FEMA awarded more than $31 million to residents of Miami-Dade for a hurricane that missed the county. FEMA even paid funeral expenses for deaths unrelated to the storm.
The Sun-Sentinel investigation found the same patterns in disasters across the country with hundreds of millions of dollars intended for disaster victims going to people who suffered no damage. When the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the Gulf coast in 2005, FEMA drew widespread criticism for its slow response and massive fraud and waste. In the aftermath of the storm, government investigators found FEMA paid more than $1 billion in fraudulent claims. FEMA's top administrator is R. David Paulison. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. In addition to directing the agency, the Administrator may also be called upon by the President to serve as a member of the Cabinet in the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters.
Their offices are located at 500 C Street S.W., Washington, D.C. 20472. Questions can be directed to www.fema.gov or call 800-621-FEMA (3362).
FEMA was created in 1979, combining several agencies with disaster-related responsibilities. It operated as an independent agency until 2003, when it became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA provides grants to communities for disaster protection measures. After a disaster strikes, FEMA provides financial assistance and supplies for recovery and rebuilding. Under its public assistance program, FEMA reimburses local and state governments for expenses including overtime for emergency personnel, debris removal and repairs to public utilities. Individual homeowners and renters are also eligible for assistance for uninsured losses. FEMA came under criticism in 2004 in Florida, which was hit by four hurricanes in six weeks. A South Florida Sun-Sentinel investigation found FEMA awarded more than $31 million to residents of Miami-Dade for a hurricane that missed the county. FEMA even paid funeral expenses for deaths unrelated to the storm.
The Sun-Sentinel investigation found the same patterns in disasters across the country with hundreds of millions of dollars intended for disaster victims going to people who suffered no damage. When the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the Gulf coast in 2005, FEMA drew widespread criticism for its slow response and massive fraud and waste. In the aftermath of the storm, government investigators found FEMA paid more than $1 billion in fraudulent claims. FEMA's top administrator is R. David Paulison. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. In addition to directing the agency, the Administrator may also be called upon by the President to serve as a member of the Cabinet in the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters.
Their offices are located at 500 C Street S.W., Washington, D.C. 20472. Questions can be directed to www.fema.gov or call 800-621-FEMA (3362).
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Tuesday is last day for residents to apply for tornado assistance
Tuesday is an important deadline for those affected by the Southern Indiana tornadoes. It's the last day to register for federal assistance and apply for low-interest disaster loans. The storms struck in March, doing severe damage to six counties,...
Tags: Natural Disasters, Tornadoes
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Hospital adds safety wall to prevent another multi-million dollar flood disaster
Columbus Regional Hospital tested 15 newly installed flood gates Friday afternoon. They are located at each pedestrian and vehicle entrance to create a wall around the massive building. Back in 2008, the hospital suffered $171 million in damage because...
Tags: Steve Thomas, Medical Procedures and Tests, Health, Hospitals and Clinics
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Shelter from the Storm: Storm shelters in high demand
Following the deadly, devastating tornado outbreak in southern Indiana in March, many Hoosiers are going further than ever to try and keep their families safe. Some, like Tom Boyden in Hendricks County, are spending thousands of dollars on underground...
Tags: Natural Disasters, Tornadoes
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Homeowners voice concerns about flooding and proposed Broad Ripple garage
Homeowners living on the north side of Indianapolis, along with some city officials, are concerned about a request for an exemption from a zoning ordianance that is meant to protect businesses from flooding. They believe city approval of the proposed...
Tags: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public Officials, Politics, Floods, Government
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FEMA report will determine if Indiana receives federal aid
Crews from Region 5 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency fanned out across tornado-ravaged Southern Indiana to assess damages that left hundreds of homes damaged and claimed 13 lives.
Tuesday, FEMA investigators walked the streets of Henryville,...Tags: White House, Natural Disasters, Tornadoes, Relief and Aid Organizations, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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President signs disaster declaration for 6 Indiana counties
Press ReleaseGovernor Mitch Daniels was notified Friday that President Barack Obama has approved federal assistance for homeowners, renters and businesses in six Indiana counties in southern Indiana affected by tornadoes and severe storms from February 29 to March 3....Tags: Business, Mitch Daniels, Executive Branch, Barack Obama, Politics
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President declares disaster for Indiana counties
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials say federal disaster aid is available to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe weather and tornadoes.
Federal funding is available to affected individuals in Clark,...Tags: Meteorological Disasters, Disasters and Accidents
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FEMA encourages Henryville residents to rebuild stronger, safer homes
One month later, Henryville resident Michael Irish still remembers what it was like when that powerful tornado pummeled his family's home. "As soon as I grabbed the dog and shut the bathroom door, the whole house, the back of our house collapsed," he...
Tags: Mark Guthrie, Renovation, Relief and Aid Organizations, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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Broad Ripple parking garage could see additional delays
The parking garage in Broad Ripple could be delayed and prove more expensive if Keystone Construction is forced to change its construction plans. The Department of Metropolitan Development is asking the Board of Zoning Appeals to deny the developers...
Tags: Super Bowl
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Commentary: Politics as ideological blood sport
CNN ContributorThey just don't get it. Two months after playing partisan chicken with the debt-ceiling limit and leading directly to a U.S. downgrade, our dysfunctional divided Congress was at it again -- carelessly bringing the country to the brink of a government...Tags: Bill Clinton, National Government, Republican Party, Entertainment, Politics
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Government officials collecting severe weather damage assessments in Indiana
Fox59Local, state and federal officials are conducting severe weather damage assessments in parts of Indiana damaged by severe storms earlier this month. Representatives from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), the Federal Emergency...Tags: Emergency Planning, Unrest, Conflicts and War, Regional Authority, Politics, Weather
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Gridlock hurts Democrats, helps Republicans
CNN ContributorWashington is stifled by gridlock. As New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said in his speech at the Ronald Reagan Library, "We drift from conflict to conflict, with little or no resolution." Even the most routine budgeting decisions turn into high-stakes...Tags: Republican Party, Entertainment, Time Warner Inc., Democratic Party, Chris Christie
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