Hurricane Maria

• Residents in communities hit by Hurricane Idalia, the Maui fires or other recent disasters have a long, tough journey ahead.
• I am a law professor who focuses on disaster recovery and preparedness and has created several legal clinics to assist survivors.

Declaring a disaster

• The level of damage will determine whether the president approves a major disaster declaration or simply an emergency declaration.
• That information is then used to determine the extent of the disaster, its impact on infrastructure and the type of aid needed in the request for a federal disaster declaration.
• Once the federal government issues an emergency or major disaster declaration, individuals can apply for disaster recovery funding.

Documenting the damage

• Amid the grief and the rush to find temporary housing and rebuild lives, it can be hard to focus on meticulously documenting what was lost and dealing with insurance.
• As soon as possible, disaster survivors should take photos of the damage and record every affected area of their property.
• That includes capturing details of damage to structures, personal belongings, vehicles and any medical equipment.
• FEMA recently amended its policy to also allow affidavits to prove ownership of homes passed down through generations, known as heirship property.

Finding disaster aid

• People generally have four options for aid: insurance coverage, FEMA benefits, community or nonprofit funding, and private funding, including loans.
• Disaster survivors must apply for their relevant insurance payouts before FEMA will pay benefits.
• The agency provides up to $41,000 for housing assistance after emergencies or disaster declarations.
• To cover the costs that go beyond FEMA’s limits, survivors may need to secure private loans or disaster loans, such as Small Business Administration disaster loans, to bridge the gap.

Community partnerships are crucial

• Amid the complexities of disaster recovery, the importance of community planning and collaboration cannot be overstated.
• These disaster recovery centers can be the cornerstone for long-term recovery groups that help a community both recover and build resilience.
• Five years after Hurricane Maria, community groups were still on the ground in Puerto Rico providing aid and resources to the local community.

• Fires also burned in other areas on Maui, Hawaii’s second-largest island, and its Big Island.
• President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration on Aug. 10 that authorizes federal aid to communities in harm’s way.
• The Conversation asked Ivis García, an urban planner who has researched disaster recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, to explain how the U.S. government responds to disasters like these and how Maui’s geography could interfere with aid delivery.

Is it harder for aid to reach an island than the US mainland?

• Later, FEMA might bring temporary homes – often called trailers – but only if there’s enough suitable land to accommodate them.
• There were not a lot of FEMA-supplied trailers in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria struck in 2017.
• On islands, like Maui, there’s usually not a lot of room to set up trailer parks, whether or not a disaster has just occurred.
• Aid workers will have more trouble getting to Maui than they would have arriving in North Carolina, for example.
• There’s typically little public transportation available, and there are few roads even if an aid worker can obtain a vehicle.

What can Maui residents expect from FEMA?

• On top of emergency aid, food and clothing, FEMA will help residents apply for housing aid as needed.
• In the meantime, displaced residents may get money or vouchers to cover short-term hotel stays.
• So it’s likely that many local residents will find it nearly impossible to cover their short-term housing costs with their FEMA assistance.
• It’s worth noting that regardless of whether one resides in Maui or elsewhere, FEMA only provides housing support for up to 18 months.

What about tourism?

• Their hotels were damaged, and they were evacuated, along with local residents, to shelters.
• Once those tourists leave, the hotels damaged by wildfire will need to rebuild before the local tourism industry can recover.

• Oakland, CA, July 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inherited , the critically acclaimed youth climate movement storytelling podcast, is back for Season 3.
• Produced by YR Media and distributed by Critical Frequency , Inherited explores personal stories from young people all over the world who are grappling with the effects of climate change.
• (Lagos, Nigeria)
  “Emma”: Emma Schulman, 19, explores the effects of climate-fueled wildfires in Colorado on already-susceptible domestic violence survivors.
• Learn more about the podcast here and follow along on social media:

• SAN ANTONIO, May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Retired Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, former Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), is the recipient of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) 2023 Golden Eagle Award for National Security.
• The award cites his leadership role in ensuring Americans had reliable access to healthcare facilities during the COVID pandemic in 2020.
• "I am very honored to receive this Golden Eagle award, but it's not just about me.
• It's also about all of the men and women whom I've had the pleasure to work with in my career," Semonite said.