Is the US ready with disaster relief?

A Story by Tandakku

Essay describing whether the US will be ready for another disaster.

With a disaster program like FEMA, will the US be ready with relief after another disaster? A disaster can mean anything from a simple flood, to a hurricane, to a national defense crisis. FEMA was created to deal with all of these situations and more. FEMA was created in 1979 under Presidential Order by President Carter to house the job of disaster assistance and civil defense under one agency. After 9/11 FEMA was absorbed into the Department of Homeland Security. The agency FEMA is ready to relieve any disaster situation because of its quick response, the money and household goods it uses to help victims, and its preparedness for disaster situations.

FEMA responds quickly to any disaster situation. When the 9/11 catastrophe struck America, FEMA was there minutes after the first of the World Trade Center towers was hit. Their response to the situation was to activate twenty-five rescue teams: five to the Pentagon and the rest to the World Trade Center. To help the victims and recover the site of the 9/11 tragedy, FEMA has also allotted about 5.5 billion dollars to local and state governments (Wiki). Though the number of deaths and amount of damage was irreplaceable, FEMA’s quick action prevented further loss. Recent Iowa floods also prompted FEMA into swift response. One hundred and forty-eight were injured, with eighty-three Iowa counties being declared disaster areas (Mceer). FEMA spent 133.9 million to help individuals affected by the flood, such as the 35,000 evacuated from their soon-to-be flooded homes, and 425.2 million used for the repair of public property. Furthermore, they have given grants to help prevent future floods and have kept in touch with the flood victims to make sure each one is doing fine (Gazette). Families should be better prepared for the future in case of another sudden flood, and will be happier because of it. FEMA’s generous response to the flood victims and preparation for future floods has given many people their homes back and a safer place to live. FEMA has done well in responding quickly to disasters.

FEMA is ready to help any disaster victim. A disaster victim may be a person who was injured, or a family that lost their house, or perhaps a family that lost their business because of a disaster. In response to hurricane Katrina, FEMA gave away about eighty-five million dollars in household goods to families who had lost homes, a lot of which were out on the street. Additionally, these supplies went to schools, fire departments, food banks and cities. This amounted to about one hundred and twenty-one truckloads of goods (CNN). FEMA’s help gave the victims of hurricane Katrina an easier time with their changed lives and a higher hope for the future. After tropical storm Floyd in New York, FEMA granted 15,395,100 dollars to homeowners affected by the storm. Victims of Floyd were happy for the extra hand in dealing with a flooded house or water-damaged belongings. For even further support, a victim of any disaster, large or small, may call FEMA’s helpline to apply for assistance. Applying may take some time, as any application does, but funds to repair a home or business is invaluable. FEMA’s readiness to assist as many people as they can through this helpline is a positive sign for citizens’ health and happiness. FEMA has enough money and supplies to help victims of any situation.

FEMA is prepared for any catastrophe. A state or local government may contact FEMA anytime their budget or prowess is incapable to rectify a disaster (DHS). FEMA provides state governments with experts and funding for any emergency situation, and training for response personnel (Wiki). A state government may need expert advice on what type of materials to use for a building because the county it is in is a flood site. The expert provided by FEMA would be able to provide proficient information and guidance. FEMA is ready for anything that comes its way through these acts, and the state governments are given the information they need through the experts selected for them. In addition, FEMA leads the Citizen Corps program. Citizen Corps organizes citizens together to train them to make their homes and communities a more secure place. It employs leaders of safety organizations such as policemen and firemen to oversee, educate, and train these citizens (In). The Citizen Corps program is a simple way to inform the citizens of any danger that could befall them, yet also train them on how to respond to it. A citizen’s house, school, or company would benefit from this training, as well as lives when they take initiative with this program. FEMA, through these events, has prepared itself and willing citizens for disasters.

The United States program, FEMA, which is designed to manage any disaster situation, is well prepared to handle and relieve any calamity. Using their quick response time, ability to help victims and preparedness for any circumstance, FEMA, as well as the citizens of the US, have done and will do a fine job of protecting the US.