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FEMA updated the Federal Interagency Operations Plan for federal disaster response and recovery efforts to support the National Response Framework and National Disaster Recovery Framework.
This is the first time the recovery and response plans have been combined into one plan, providing unity of effort for federal agencies to support state, local, tribal and territorial governments after a disaster.
The plan serves as the federal organizing framework for responding to and recovering from various types of threats and hazards and the unique challenges that they pose. It is a strategic document relying on the operational plans, capabilities and resources of the federal government and does not address all aspects of incident response and recovery.
Learn more at Federal Interagency Operational Plans | FEMA.gov.
In its annual grant cycle, FEMA received another record-setting request for funding through two grant programs that aim to enhance disaster resiliency.
State, local, tribal, and territorial governments requested a total for $5.63 billion for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance programs.
Additionally, FEMA saw an increase in requests for BRIC non-financial Direct Technical Assistance with 112 submissions, 30 of which were from tribal communities and 58 self-reported Economically Disadvantaged Rural Communities.
These increases represent an oversubscription trend in funding to make communities safer from natural hazards and the effects of climate change.
FEMA received 802 subapplications for BRIC requesting more than $4.6 billion and 270 subapplications for Flood Mitigation Assistance requesting $980 million.
Flood control projects received the most requests for assistance with 122 applications requesting more than $1.6 billion through BRIC and 40 applications requesting approximately $571 million through Flood Mitigation Assistance.
A total $3.1 billion is available, with $2.295 billion in BRIC and $800 million for Flood Mitigation Assistance.
FEMA announced the funding opportunity on Aug. 12, 2022. The application period opened Sept. 30, 2022, and closed Jan. 27, 2023.
The agency will announce the set-aside selections for states, tribes and territories in May. The national competition selections will be later this summer.
FEMA continues to engage reinsurance markets to help strengthen the financial framework of the National Flood Insurance Program and promote private sector participation in flood-risk management.
On March 7, FEMA entered into three-year reinsurance agreements with Hannover Re (Ireland) Designated Activity Company. Hannover Re is transferring $275 million of the NFIP’s financial risk to capital market qualified investors by sponsoring the issuance of a catastrophe bond through a special purpose reinsurer.
The capital market placements complement existing traditional reinsurance coverage, allowing FEMA to grow the NFIP’s Reinsurance Program that protects against future flood losses. As part of these agreements FEMA will pay approximately $50.4 million in premium for the first year of reinsurance coverage. The agreements are structured to cover for a given flood event:
- 5% of losses between $7 billion and $8 billion.
- 25% of losses between $8 billion and $10 billion.
This coverage builds on FEMA’s transfer of the program’s flood risk to capital markets investors since 2018. Each placement is a three-year term. FEMA also has the following active capital market placements: $450 million in February 2022 and $575 million in February 2021.
Combined with FEMA’s existing reinsurance coverage, FloodSmart 2021-1 bonds, FloodSmart 2022-1 bonds and the January 2023 traditional reinsurance placement, FEMA transferred $1.803 billion of the NFIP’s flood risk to the private sector ahead of the 2023 hurricane season.
Congress granted FEMA authority to secure reinsurance from the private reinsurance and capital markets through the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014.
For additional information about this reinsurance placement, you can read Frequently Asked Questions and other details about this reinsurance placement, available on FEMA’s reinsurance webpage.
Flooding is America’s most frequent disaster, affecting 99% of U.S. counties since 1996. Just one inch of water can cause roughly $25,000 of damage to one’s home and most homeowners don’t know their flood risk or what is covered in the event of a flood.
Even more concerning, rising extreme weather has made flooding more prominent and that’s not only happening in flood zones. On average, about 40% of NFIP flood insurance claims come from outside high-hazard zones.
FEMA and its National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) protect approximately 4.7 million policyholders across more than 22,500 U.S. communities.
On this episode, David Maurstad, senior executive of the National Flood Insurance Program, discusses misconceptions and how the program is designed to help residents and business owners protect the life they’ve built with flood insurance.
Visit FEMA.gov to access the episode.
After a two-year break due to COVID-19, FEMA resumed a seminar version of its “L0324: Hurricane Preparedness for Decision-Makers” course through the agency’s National Hurricane Program. The course consisted of three, week-long regionally focused classes hosted at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Fla. This year, over 70 emergency managers participated from hurricane-prone states and the federal interagency.
The course covered topics on:
- Hurricane hazards.
- Forecast challenges.
- NHC and National Weather Service tropical issues.
- Hurricane Evacuation Study process.
Participants spent time learning how NHC’s hurricane specialists compose tropical cyclone forecasts and coordinate hazards and warnings with federal and international meteorological partners. Regional hurricane program managers led students through an exercise on the Hurricane Evacuation Study process. Additionally, program partners from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers instructed participants on HURREVAC, a hurricane evacuation decision support tool. At the end of the course, students participated in a tabletop exercise simulating the evacuation decision-making process as a hurricane approaches landfall.
The course is part of a multi-year National Hurricane Program training development effort focused on content and process updates.
You can find more information on the National Hurricane Program on FEMA.gov.
 Presenters from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provide training on the HURREVAC decision support tool.
On March 6, President Joseph R. Biden and the U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell kicked off the 2023 International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.
During the conference, Fire Administrator Moore-Merrell shared the U.S Fire Administration’s (USFA) national strategy and how the “Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act” authorizes the USFA to send safety specialists, fire protection engineers, codes and standards experts, researchers and fire training specialists to collaborate and assist local firefighter investigators in their investigation.
President Biden remarks thanked the fire service for their continued support over the years. He reiterated his support for the strategy and its focus on wildfire due to climate change. The President promised to continue to work for firefighters through legislation to improve protective equipment and industrial standards, expand benefits, expand cancer research and risks due to polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Visit WhiteHouse.gov to read President Biden’s full remarks. To learn more about fire safety, visit U.S. Fire Administration (fema.gov)
FEMA is Accepting Revolving Loan Fund Applications
FEMA is accepting applications to the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund grant program. Loans will be available to help local governments satisfy non-federal cost share requirements under FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs, update building codes adoption, and enforcement and make zoning and land use changes.
The program has been expanded to give 20 federally recognized tribal nations and insular areas the same eligibility to apply as states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. As defined by the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act, insular areas are American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands.
The funding notice is available at Grants.gov. Eligible entities must apply for funding using the Non-Disaster (ND) Grants Management System (ND Grants). Applications must be received by 3 p.m. ET on April 28.
Visit FEMA.gov for more information.
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FEMA Seeks Feedback on Hazard Mitigation Documents
FEMA is seeking public feedback on nine Hazard Mitigation resource typing documents. These resource typing documents include two National Incident Management System-typed Hazard Mitigation teams for operations and planning and seven positions that make up the teams. This 30-day national engagement period will conclude at 5 p.m. ET on March 16.
To provide comments on the draft documents, complete the feedback form and submit the form to FEMA-NIMS@fema.dhs.gov.
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FEMA Seeks Feedback on Achieving Equitable Recovery Guide
FEMA is seeking feedback on the draft “Achieving Equitable Recovery: A Post-Disaster Guide for Local Officials.” The open comment period will end on March 15.
The guide is organized around eight goals focused on approaches to engaging and identifying the needs of all community members and ensuring a more accessible, inclusive and equitable recovery planning process.
For more information about the webinars and to access the draft Equity Guide and related documents, visit FEMA.gov.
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Nonprofit Security Grant Program Webinars Now Available
FEMA invites nonprofit organizations to participate in upcoming webinars regarding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. The program provides funding support through a competitive process for facility hardening and other security enhancements to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack. For all attendees, it is strongly recommended that you review the existing program resources available FEMA.gov.
To attend a webinar, register in advance on FEMA.gov. Webinars will be held:
Additional information related to the program can be found on FEMA.gov. The vulnerability self-assessment tool, as well as other helpful safety and security information for nonprofit organizations, can be found on CISA.gov.
If you have any questions regarding these webinars or require special accommodations, email FEMA-NSGP@fema.dhs.gov.
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FEMA Corps Application Deadline is March 14
People interested in kick starting their career in emergency management should consider joining FEMA Corps. This full-time service opportunity is for individuals ages 18 to 26 who are looking to gain valuable leadership skills through team-based service. Members serve alongside FEMA to help communities prepare for and respond to disasters.
The FEMA Corps Summer application deadline for members is March 14. If you know someone interested in preparedness and community service, encourage them to apply. For more information, visit AmeriCorps.gov or FEMA.gov.
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FEMA Publishes Pre-Disaster Mitigation Funding Notice
On March 1, FEMA published the Fiscal Year 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. This funding opportunity makes approximately $233 million available to support 100 resilience-related projects nationwide.
Communities and tribal nations with projects identified in the funding opportunity must apply for funding by 5 p.m. ET on April 14.
For general questions about Pre-Disaster Mitigation congressional community projects, contact the appropriate State Hazard Mitigation Officer or FEMA regional Office. The Hazard Mitigation Assistance Helpline is also available by telephone at 866-222-3580.
If you require further assistance after navigating the resources listed above, e-mail FEMA-Ask-PDM@fema.dhs.gov. For more information, visit FEMA.gov.
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FEMA Announces Updates to the National Risk Index
In late March, FEMA will release major updates to the National Risk Index. Updates will include Census 2020 data and geographies, risk assessment for U.S. territories, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Social Vulnerability data, shifting all scores to percentiles, adding risk metrics for trend analyses and more.
The National Risk Index shows the communities most at risk to 18 natural hazards. FEMA officially launched the National Risk Index in August 2021. Since then, it has become a key tool to helping communities better learn and reduce their risk. It can support mitigation planning, community preparedness and emergency management. Visit fema.gov/NRI to learn more.
FEMA is hosting two webinar sessions before the release to preview the updates and review any impacts to the data services. Webinars will be held:
This webinar is for those who use the National Risk Index data and reporting or have integrated the application’s data, GIS services or information into any tools or applications. This may include emergency managers, planners, GIS developers, community stakeholders, state, local and federal agencies, commercial organizations and more.
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FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute Announces New Learning Management System
FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is enhancing the learning experience with a new learning management system set to launch this Spring!
The new system promises a more interactive and convenient experience, allowing for progress tracking and access to a host of student services, all in one place. As part of the rollout, all current and former EMI students will need to go through a new login and verification process the first time they visit the site. It is essential to ensure that your FEMA Student ID (SID) information is accurate and up to date.
To prepare for the launch, take these steps:
- Verify and update your FEMA SID information by clicking on "Edit Profile" in the FEMA Student Identification (SID) System (dhs.gov). Self-help actions and FAQs are available to guide you through this process.
- Review your Student Transcript (Independent Study only) from the Student Portal at Emergency Management Institute (EMI) | Student Portal (fema.gov). Please ensure your SID information is up to date before completing this step.
- Review your transcript for accuracy and make any necessary corrections before the new system goes live.
If you run into technical difficulties, email independent.study@fema.dhs.gov or call (301) 447-1200. Stay tuned for more updates as we get ready to launch the new learning management system!
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