WASHINGTON - The objective of the After-Action Report is to identify the challenges FEMA faced as a result of three catastrophic hurricanes and California’s wildfires and makes transformational recommendations to improve the entire emergency management community.
NEWS REPORTS
FEMA admits failure.
FULL STORY
After-action reports are part of FEMA’s standard procedures to improve the agency’s ability to respond to future disasters. FEMA overcame complex challenges using innovative approaches during the 2017 disaster season.
NEWS REPORTS
FEMA’s plans were incomplete and did not account for possible multiple major disasters in a short amount of time.
FULL STORY
Plans are not built to perfectly predict every scenario. FEMA, as a matter of practice, continuously assessed the situation, and adjusted existing plans as needed. FEMA showed agility in adjusting to meet survivor needs.
NEWS REPORTS
FEMA ran out of supplies for Puerto Rico.
FULL STORY
FEMA pre-positioned supplies to meet the anticipated immediate needs of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. FEMA shipped additional commodities to the Caribbean in anticipation of future storms and strategically placed supplies offshore while Hurricane Maria made landfall. Over the course of the 2017 hurricane season, FEMA moved more than $2 billion in commodities across affected states and territories. While distribution of commodities proved challenging, the supplies did not run out.
NEWS REPORTS
FEMA did not provide adequate meals.
FULL STORY
The Puerto Rico feeding mission was the largest and longest in the agency’s history. The agency worked extensively with private sector entities, non-governmental organizations, and other Federal agencies to provide a full range of meal options, from ready-to-eat to hot meals.
NEWS REPORTS
FEMA was understaffed and was [unexpectedly] forced to rely on staff from other agencies to fulfill its mission.
FULL STORY
No jurisdiction or federal agency has all the staff and resources it will need to respond to a catastrophic incident. The Surge Capacity Force is specifically designed to augment FEMA staffing needs during major incidents. During the 2017 Hurricane Season, FEMA deployed 4,063 staff through the Surge Capacity Force, three times more than during the response to Hurricane Sandy.
NEWS REPORTS
FEMA was uninformed.
FULL STORY
One of the biggest challenges FEMA faced was the loss of communication due to disaster impacts. FEMA has an objective in its new 2018-2022 strategic plan to improve resilient communications capabilities.
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