Disaster Relief

Aug 31

Written By Jonathan Milner

Critical Analysis

According to the data from the chart above, what year has had the most billion dollar weather and climate disasters in the U.S.?
Based on the data from the chart above, describe one trend in billion dollar weather and climate disasters in the U.S..
What is one natural cause of this trend?
What is one demographic cause of this trend?
What is one political consequence of this trend?
The Department of Homeland Security includes the Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection (Border Patrol), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Transportation Security Administration (those nice folks at the airport), Coast Guard, and FEMA. The budget for FEMA in FY2022 is 90.8$ billion. Which of these agencies within FEMA do you think has the biggest budget?*
How would traditional liberals and conservatives differ on the role of the government in disaster relief?
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act authorizes the President to issue declarations that provide states, tribes, and localities with a range of federal assistance in response to natural and man-made incidents. Since 1953 the frequency of declarations has increased. For example, the average number of major disaster declarations issued from 1960 to 1969 was roughly 18.6 per year. In contrast, the average number of major disaster declarations issued from 2000 to 2009 was 57.1 per year. Climate change increases the likelihood of billion dollar disasters. How will increased disaster spending impact spending on other government programs?
If you were the head of FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) what political calculations would determine the number of disaster declarations each year?
How do national disasters like Hurricane Ida, the California wildfires, and recent flooding in the southeast illustrate the concept of federalism?