Disasters

Whatever the disaster, as the federal government’s emergency management and preparedness agency, FEMA is part of a team of responders.

Disasters Overview

Disaster can strike at any time and in any place, building slowly, or occurring suddenly without warning.
Disaster Response and Recovery

Every year, disasters put millions of Americans in danger and destroy billions of dollars worth of property.
Disaster Assistance

Disaster assistance is money or direct assistance to individuals, families and businesses whose property has been damaged or destroyed and whose losses are not covered by insurance.
Plan and Prepare for Disasters

Preparedness is defined by DHS/FEMA as "a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action in an effort to ensure effective coordination during incident response." This cycle is one element of a broader National Preparedness System to prevent, respond to, and recover from natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other disasters.
Disasters Results

Since 9/11, DHS has made significant progress in how we respond to a wide range of threats, from natural disasters to coordinated attacks.
Surge Capacity Force

The Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act directs the DHS Secretary to designate employees from throughout the Department to staff a Surge Capacity Force. During a declared disaster, the DHS Secretary will determine if SCF support is necessary.