Paper and Powerpoint Assignment! (2 assignments)

Disaster Declaration Research

Under the Stafford Act, as implemented by 44 C.F.R subsection 206.36, one can issues the Presidential Disaster Declaration of a flood disaster for State of Florida as result of Hurricane Katrina to include hazard mitigation, individual assistance, and all forms of public assistance To write a Presidential Disaster Declaration, generally an issue such as catastrophe must have occurred, it should involve broader authorities for federal agencies to give additional assistance to help both the Local and state government, people and families (Platt, 1999). The end result of the Presidential Disaster Declaration should be entirely understood. The declaration process employs measurable criteria from which the disaster damage can be evaluated in broad terms (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2011). The assistance given is in terms of individual help which assist families and persons or it can be Public Assistance which is for emergency works.

· The disaster is extraordinary such that a federal cost is warranted (44 CFR Subsection 206.47).

Considering the track record of the hurricane, the size and its strength, and also considering that Florida are still recovery from previous floods, the declaration can specifically request:

a. 100% Federal government cost shares for both categories A and B for the first sixty days and a 80% federal cost share thereafter (44 CFR subsection 206.47(d);

b. Transitional sheltering assistance; and

c. 70% federal cost share of every public assistance. (44 CFR subsection 206.47(b).

· This disaster is of unusual severity and the magnitude does not need field assessment for assistance to be give (44 CFR subsection 206.36 (d)

Considering the size, track, and strength of this hurricane, the declaration request the government the following:

I. Expedited processing;

II. A disaster declaration without need for damage assessments

For Hurricane Katrina, It is unneedful to do damage assessments (Cooper & Block, 2006). The damage caused by the hurricane with about 155mph wind and 13 feet of storm is sufficient reason to satisfy any emergency, per capita threshold for county and/or state damage

On the State government, the effect of Franklin County is more than the needed $27 million threshold for Public Fund Assistance; and the dire needs of the Hurricane survivors in the said county showing people in need of individual assistance declaration.

On the local side, even if counties were to be included in this declaration without the needed threshold, Federal help is possible under the following conditions:

· The applicant tie damage to the disaster; and

· The Hurricane Katrina survivors can show needs brought by the storm.

· The situations created by the Hurricane is severe and the magnitude of the response is beyond the ability of State and the involved Local governments.

References Cooper, C., & Block, R. (2006). Disaster—Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Platt, R. H. (1999). Disasters and Democracy: The Politics of Extreme Natural Events. Washington, DC: Island Press. U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2011). Disaster Assistance: Improvement Needed in Disaster Declaration Criteria and Eligibility Assurance Procedures. GAO-01-837.