Hurricane / Typhoon Pre-Landfall Policy
FEMA issued interim policy guidance on June 9, 2006, to clarify the circumstances for which a requesting state will be considered for a Presidential emergency declaration in advance of a hurricane or typhoon making landfall. This new interim policy also affords greater flexibility to Federal resources while outlining specific criteria necessary to engage those assets.
This policy provides for pre-landfall emergency declarations with federal assistance limited to Category B (Emergency Protective Measures) of the FEMA Public Assistance Program. This includes Direct Federal Assistance, which provides for the mission assignment of federal resources to lessen the burden on state responders.
Under the new interim policy, certain criteria must be met in order for a pre-landfall emergency declaration to be considered. Such criteria include the following:
- A state of emergency is declared by the governor.
- A projection by the National Weather Service that the state, or portion of it, will be threatened by a major hurricane.
- Other criteria to be met include either:
- (a) the state, or jurisdiction(s) thereof, has issued mandatory evacuation orders for three or more counties / parishes, or any geographical area with a combined population of more than 100,000 residents; or
- (b) the declaration is necessary to provide operational Federal support (e.g., teams, equipment, supplies) to meet critical pre-positioning and readiness requirements which would overwhelm the capability or capacity of state resources.
Under the interim policy, the standard policy for requesting a declaration remains the same, whereby the governor must declare a state of emergency and make request of the President that a federal emergency declaration be issued. The President will consider the request and act in accordance of the law.
Only the President can decide to make Emergency and Major Disaster declarations. By making a pre-landfall emergency disaster declaration, the President is in no way obligated to either approve or disapprove any declaration request.
The Federal share for assistance for a pre-landfall emergency declaration won't be less than 75 percent of the eligible costs, and funding will be recommended at a 75 percent federal/25 percent nonfederal cost-share.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Monday, 19-Jun-2006 15:19:54 EDT