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The 2023 FEMA Resilience Year in Review report, highlighting the significant strides FEMA has made in enhancing the nation’s preparedness and resilience, is now available online. The year 2023 displayed the escalating effects of the climate crisis, with an emergency or disaster declaration occurring on average every three days. This report emphasizes the critical importance of collaboration and continuous improvement as we face escalating climate challenges together.
Key initiatives in this report include:
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Promoting Equity: Ensuring that all communities, especially those historically underserved, have access to the resources and support needed to strengthen their resilience.
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Expanding Climate Resilience Programs: Implementing innovative strategies and programs to address the growing challenges posed by climate change.
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Improving Community Readiness: Offering targeted assistance and legislative reforms to better support communities in their resilience efforts.
By showcasing these achievements and outlining the agency’s future goals, FEMA aims to inform you of our ongoing commitment to building a resilient and prepared nation.
Through partnerships and collaborations, your support is helping to make significant strides toward a safer and more resilient future for the nation.
FEMA announced that it is submitting its first claim for Hurricane Ian to recover $36.3 million in reinsurance coverage.
This claim is based upon the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) paid losses to date associated with Hurricane Ian and the first layer of 2022 traditional reinsurance coverage. Those paid losses exceeded the minimum threshold for the NFIP’s reinsurance coverage.
As of May 31, 2024, FEMA exceeded $4 billion in paid-to-date claims to insured flood survivors of Hurricane Ian, triggering the first layer of reinsurance under FEMA’s Jan.1, 2022, reinsurance agreement.
So far, Hurricane Ian has generated more than 48,000 claims, and the NFIP has paid about $4.872 billion to policyholders, with processing ongoing. The funds recovered from the 2022 reinsurance coverage contribute to the NFIP’s ability to pay claims.
FEMA received the authority to secure reinsurance through the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014.
Hurricane Sandy claims ($8.9 billion) in October 2012 and Hurricane Katrina claims ($16.3 billion) in August 2005 resulted in program debt when the cost of flood policy claims far exceeded the NFIP’s premium revenues; reinsurance places the NFIP in a better position to manage losses incurred from similar major events.
This is the second time FEMA has recovered reinsurance payments. In 2017, FEMA recovered the full $1.042 billion in reinsurance coverage under its 2017 Reinsurance Program as a result of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Earlier this year, the NFIP transferred $1.92 billion of the NFIP’s financial risk to the private reinsurance markets. Reinsurance is a key component for a stronger and more resilient program.
Visit FEMA.gov for more information on the NFIP’s reinsurance program.
On July 11, FEMA published a Final Rule and new policy to implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). The standard is a flexible framework to increase resilience against flooding and help protect communities.
In recent years, communities have seen repeated flooding that threatens both lives and property. Previous approaches, based on historical data, have become outdated. By using the best available science, the FFRMS strengthens FEMA’s standards to incorporate both current and future flood risk, making taxpayer-funded projects far more resilient to flooding, protecting federal investments and reducing the risk of damage and loss from floods. Additionally, FEMA will pay for the applicable federal cost share to implement the FFRMS, which is often 75% or more.
This rule allows FEMA to consider the best available science in making projects and communities more resilient to increased flood conditions. The standard applies to FEMA-funded actions involving new construction, substantial improvement or repairs to substantial damage.
The standard also applies to Hazard Mitigation Assistance projects involving structure elevation, dry floodproofing and mitigation reconstruction. This advances the National Climate Resilience Framework’s goal of building a climate-resilient nation. This higher standard considers both current and future flood risks associated with climate change and other threats.
This rule and policy are effective on Sept. 9, 2024.
Read the full press release at FEMA.gov to learn more about the minimal estimated implementation costs and the full implementation of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard.
FEMA will be coordinating next Tuesday and Wednesday, July 23-24, on Eagle Horizon, the mandatory annual exercise for all executive branch departments and agencies. On July 22, FEMA leadership will begin participating in the exercise, which DHS coordinates through FEMA and our Office of National Continuity Programs.
The exercise is critical to testing FEMA’s continuity of operations procedures and ensuring coordination across the federal government in the event of disruption to normal operations. A carefully designed and well-practiced national continuity plan significantly enhances our ability to react swiftly and effectively to any incident we may face.
In a national emergency, federal departments and agencies may be required to relocate to alternate sites or devolve. Eagle Horizon simulates such an event and helps FEMA practice ensuring the continued performance of essential government functions.
The exercise focuses on coordination between federal agencies and tests Federal Executive Branch Continuity alerts, notifications, deployment procedures and interagency continuity communications. Emergency Relocation Group members are sent by their respective agencies to pre-planned alternate locations and asked to implement continuity procedures.
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FEMA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) developed the Pre-Disaster Housing Planning Initiative (PDHI) to promote collaborative approaches to disaster housing recovery challenges and to bolster state, Tribal Nation and territorial planning for housing recovery before disasters occur.
The joint FEMA and HUD Pre-Disaster Housing Planning Initiative Report is available for states, Tribal Nations, territories and the emergency management community to learn about effective practices to help address housing needs that arise after a disaster. The published findings summarize the efforts and lessons learned during the 2023 pilot with Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey and Washington, focusing on the 77 aspects of the joint housing initiative that enabled the states to successfully engage in pre-disaster housing planning.
Key takeaways of the report include the importance of identifying and addressing housing recovery challenges in a non-disaster environment, the benefit of information sharing among states and the value in tailoring federal support and resources to the unique needs and challenges of each state. This collaborative effort helps build local capacity and ensures states, Tribal Nations and territories adopt a proactive approach to housing recovery. Planning around existing housing shortfalls before disasters can help communities recover more quickly during emergencies and ensure more resilient outcomes.
In addition to the report, a Pre-Disaster Housing Planning Checklist and Guide, as well as a Federal Housing and Sheltering Resource Timeline and Compendium, were developed during the initiative and are available for states, Tribal Nations and territories to begin maturing their pre-disaster housing strategies.
A second cohort of the initiative is planned, and FEMA and HUD will engage with different states to boost their housing recovery capabilities.
For more information, visit FEMA.gov.
FEMA has published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment on the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System.
The public can provide comments on the suggested alternative program features to the Community Rating System by submitting a response to the Federal Register Notice Request for Information on Regulations.gov. In addition, FEMA is offering public meetings in August and individuals can register for a session.
FEMA is seeking input on the suggestions and approaches for a redesigned Community Rating System. This is based on public input from the August 2021 request for information (Docket ID “FEMA-2021-0021”) and recommendations from the July 2023 Government Accountability Office report, FEMA's New Rate Setting Methodology Improves Actuarial Soundness but Highlights Need for Broader Program Reform (GAO-23-105977).
The purpose of the redesign is to enhance the Community Rating System’s effectiveness, promote resilience and mitigate the financial impacts of flooding on communities. The redesign is a multi-year effort intended to take a comprehensive look at its program, exploring both incremental improvements and bold shifts in approach.
FEMA is exploring the future of the Community Rating System with a focus on ways the agency can improve the Community Rating System to:
- Incentivize communities to take measurable actions and make sustained progress that reduces current and future flood risk.
- Embed equity as a foundation of the Community Rating System program.
- Incentivize communities to promote property owners to purchase flood insurance to reduce their financial exposure to flood risk.
- Deliver a community participant-centered and modernized program.
The Community Rating System is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages floodplain management practices that exceed the minimum requirements in the National Flood Insurance Program. The agency is evaluating the Community Rating System’s potential to provide ongoing support for state, local, Tribal Nations and territorial governments’ goals and needs around floodplain management.
FEMA will host three 90-minute public meetings to explain the suggested alternative program features and how to provide information for public comment. Participants must register in advance and will be confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Anyone interested may register online and attend a public meeting on:
Written comments must be submitted by Sept. 9 on the Federal eRulemaking Portal, Docket ID: FEMA-2024-0022. Please follow the instructions on the page for submitting comments and contact the Regulations.gov Help Desk if you have technical issues.
Visit FEMA.gov for more information about the Community Rating System.
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FEMA published a Request for Information notice on SAM.gov, seeking input from post-trauma case management and emergency management professionals to help remove barriers, identify best practices and find innovative solutions related to its Disaster Case Management program.
Insights and expertise from professionals in these fields can help inform future changes to the program, ensuring that it effectively connects survivors to the wide range of disaster assistance available.
This Request for Information is a continuation of FEMA’s recent updates to its Individual Assistance program, which focused on establishing new and flexible forms of assistance, cutting through red tape and simplifying the application process for survivors. Enhancing the Disaster Case Management program is vital to simplifying processes for survivors so they can find and access help when they need it most.
FEMA encourages all professionals in post-trauma case management and emergency management to provide their valuable feedback.
To participate, please visit the Request for Information notice on SAM.gov and submit your comments by Sunday, Aug. 25.
Please note that responses to these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the government to form a binding contract.
On Monday, July 8, FEMA marked a new success in releasing the Defense Production Act Guide. This document outlines the establishment, recruitment, training, activation and management of the National Defense Executive Reserve, a cadre of highly qualified individuals outside the federal government prepared to serve in executive positions during national defense emergencies.
The guide provides detailed procedures, including key aspects for the formation and management of National Defense Executive Reserve units within federal agencies. It documents stringent recruitment and training requirements, specific activation protocols, comprehensive record-keeping and conflict-of-interest provisions. The document ensures that the program can efficiently augment federal agency staff during national emergencies, maintaining readiness and adherence to legal and ethical standards.
The program's Defense Production Act Guide is envisioned as the first in a series of federal-level guidance documents modeled after the Federal Preparedness Guidance documents FEMA issued in the 1980s and '90s to provide a consistent framework for implementing federal emergency preparedness responsibilities.
Currently, there is no plan to provide additional Defense Production Act Guides. However, FEMA will consult with the other federal agencies through its established interagency working group process to identify Defense Production Act functions that multiple agencies are executing and could benefit from a consistent and unified approach to their execution.
To learn more about the Defense Production Act, visit FEMA.gov.
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 FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell highlights FEMA's role in support of the U.S. Mission to NATO during a NATO engagement event at NASA on July 9.
On July 9, FEMA hosted The Resilience Dialogue: Strengthening our Communities to Meet the Future on the sidelines of the 2024 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit. This event highlighted FEMA’s role in supporting the U.S. Mission to NATO and the importance of national civil preparedness and resilience efforts aligned with the Alliance’s collective resilience and security.
Rooted in Article 3 of the North Atlantic Treaty, Allies are responsible for building national resilience, enhancing their individual ability to prepare for, resist, respond to and quickly recover from shocks and disruptions. The NATO Resilience Committee is charged with, among other things, ensuring resilience is factored, where appropriate, into NATO defense planning, operations and activities. FEMA directly supports this effort by serving as the U.S. Representative on the Committee, as well as its Civil Protection Working Group.
FEMA’s domestic efforts to enhance civil preparedness and resilience were highlighted during this event in support of the Alliance's collective resilience and defense. Panelists also discussed resources, guidance and tools FEMA offers to assist stakeholders in developing a better understanding of disaster shocks and stressors, while factoring resilience considerations into their planning in the face of short-term and long-term risks.
FEMA has many career opportunities for those interested in and passionate about starting and furthering a career in emergency management. The agency needs employees stationed across the nation, from FEMA headquarters in D.C. to FEMA’s 10 regional offices nationwide to individual communities with declared disasters or other needs.
The agency offers different types of positions available for individuals who want to serve and help those impacted by natural disasters, emergencies and other crises.
To learn more about employee types at FEMA, visit FEMA.gov.
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Webinar: How to Write Solid Observations for Incident After-Action Reports
FEMA's Continuous Improvement Technical Assistance Program (CITAP) is hosting a webinar on how to Develop After-Action Report Observations to help organizations learn how to write data-supported observations for real-world incident reports. The webinar is from 9 to 10 a.m. ET, Wednesday, July 17, and will focus on approaches for developing after-action review observations as outlined in FEMA’s National Continuous Improvement Guidance.
During this webinar, CITAP aims to equip participants with techniques to craft effective and validated AAR observations, including a review of each element of an observation from topic sentence to recommended actions. Data-supported observations establish a foundation for actions that address underlying issues or root causes. The webinar will also review associated resources available on the CITAP’s website on the FEMA Preparedness Toolkit.
Register in advance by visiting the webinar’s event page on FEMA.gov and clicking the "Register" button. If an issue arises while registering or logging in, please contact the FEMA CITAP Team at FEMA-CITAP@fema.dhs.gov.
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Webinar: Learn More About Integrating Children’s Needs into Disaster Planning
Do you work in state or local government, emergency management or a child-centric organization? Is your community prepared to help children before, during and after disaster strikes?
Join FEMA at 1 p.m. ET, Wednesday, July 17, for an informational webinar to formally launch its Community Preparedness: Integrating the Needs of Children workshop. The webinar will provide a detailed overview of the workshop, including the goals and target audience, workshop topics and structure, and details on how it can be customized to fit the audience’s needs. Register in advance for the Zoom webinar.
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Join FEMA for the July Business and Industry Call
FEMA’s Office of Business, Industry, and Infrastructure Integration is hosting the July Business and Industry Call. The virtual event will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. ET, Tuesday, July 23.
The call will focus on securing businesses from natural and cyber threats. Panelists will showcase a variety of tools and resources designed to provide business and industry partners with actionable and real-time insights for preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
The call will feature expert partners who will share best practices and insights for business organizations to face natural disasters and cybersecurity threats, including FEMA’s National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC), CISA and Ready.gov/business. Register today by visiting, https://bit.ly/JulyBICall.
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$10.8M Available for Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grants
FEMA released the funding notice for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program. The program provides $10.8 million to eligible states and local governments to close known preparedness capability gaps, encourage innovative regional solutions to issues related to catastrophic incidents and build on existing regional preparedness efforts.
Awards will be made on a competitive basis to applicants who present an ability to successfully meet the requirements described in the funding notice.
The application period will close at 5 p.m. ET on July 25. Submissions must be made through FEMA Grants Outcomes (GO). The Notice of Funding Opportunity is available on Grants.gov (Assistance Listings Number 97.111), as well as on the FEMA website at www.fema.gov/grants.
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Fiscal Year 2024 Spring Dam Safety State Assistance Grant Application Period Closes July 26
The application period for FEMA’s Fiscal Year 2024 Spring Dam Safety State Assistance Grant Program opened on June 24 and will close on Friday, July 26. This year’s funding opportunity is for $7.5 million. The State Assistance grant program provides financial assistance to states and territories to help strengthen the administration of their dam safety programs. Eligible activities include training for state dam safety personnel, dam inspections, public awareness campaigns, emergency action plans and similar activities.
To be eligible for the grant, applicants must have a state dam safety program authorized by state legislation and be working toward meeting specific criteria and budgeting requirements. Each state or territory will submit one application to FEMA on behalf of its respective dam safety program.
All applications must be submitted through FEMA Grant Outcomes. Applicants can find more detailed information on applicant eligibility and the application process on this fact sheet. The Dam Safety webpage on FEMA.gov will be periodically updated with timeline and award information.
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FEMA Announces $5.4M Available in Competitive Training Grants for Rural and Tribal Preparedness
FEMA has made $5.4 million available for the Fiscal Year 2024 Competitive Training Grants to focus on “Rural and Tribal Preparedness for Equitable Outcomes." These funds are provided through the Homeland Security National Training Program’s Continuing Training Grants. This program helps develop and deliver FEMA-certified training solutions to help the emergency management and first responder communities. Funding through the grants is provided as a cooperative agreement and awarded directly to the recipients.
The delivery and development of these innovative training programs play an important role in implementing the National Preparedness System and support the core capabilities essential to achieving the National Preparedness Goal for a secure and resilient nation.
The Notice of Funding Opportunity was posted on Grants.gov, Monday, July 8. Eligible Homeland Security National Training Program applicants must submit their application no later than 11:59 p.m. ET, Friday, Aug. 16.
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FEMA Requests Public Comment on Latest Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide
FEMA is requesting public comments on its latest Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, which focuses on plain language and increased eligibility for assistance. The 60-day public comment period opened June 18, and written comments may be submitted on the Federal Register Portal and FEMA.gov through Aug. 19.
With this updated guide, Public Assistance applicants will be able to maximize the program’s authorities by submitting cost summaries for their projects rather than detailed, itemized cost information. Likewise, applicants will experience reduced documentation with the ability to group projects with similar damage together rather than undergo individual inspections to help keep recovery moving forward.
To ensure equitable outcomes, applicants can help FEMA prioritize projects that benefit vulnerable populations by submitting information to determine whether disaster impacts affect any underserved communities. In addition, Houses of Worship and their role in communities pre and post disasters are now specifically mentioned in the guide to ensure these types of nonprofits have access to assistance. To promote resiliency when building back, version 5 includes a section on nature-based solutions, which incorporates natural features or processes into the project design and construction phase.
The guide offers an overview of Public Assistance program and policy and how to apply to all disasters declared on or after its publication date.
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National Floodplain Administrator Requests Assessment Survey by Aug. 30
FEMA manages the National Flood Insurance Program which includes more than 22,600 participating communities. This year, FEMA is conducting a National Floodplain Administrator Needs Assessment survey of the nation’s floodplain administrators who manage local floodplains for these jurisdictions. This is the first nationwide survey since 2009.
FEMA wants to hear from local governments and their staff about how training can be improved to help them protect their communities and retain existing floodplain administrators. The survey is available in English and Spanish. The survey will close Friday, Aug. 30.
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FEMA Announces $300M to Strengthen Community Resilience to Flooding
The third round of Swift Current funding is now available to help National Flood Insurance Program policyholders across the nation become more resilient to flooding. This funding makes $660 million, which FEMA is using from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program’s Swift Current opportunity.
For the first Swift Current announcement in 2022, FEMA made available a total of $60 million. The second announcement in 2023 made $300 million available and expanded criteria to benefit more places, which as of May 30, includes 19 states and one Tribal Nation.
The application window opened on June 1, 2024, and the last eligible disaster declaration date is May 31, 2025. The funding opportunity is available on Grants.gov. Potential applicants who have questions may contact their FEMA regional office.
All applications must be submitted in FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO) and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The application deadline date will be provided to the applicant. Applications received by FEMA after the deadline will not be considered for funding. For more information, interested NFIP policyholders should contact their state or territory hazard mitigation officer.
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