Disaster Services

Burning Bans

Programs that issue orders that temporarily restrict outdoor burning when hot, dry and windy conditions create an increased risk of wildfires. Also included are burning bans that are issued when winter weather conditions are especially cold and still contributing to increased air pollution from particulate matter. This type of burning ban prohibits both indoor and outdoor burning unless a fireplace or wood stove is a person's only source of heat.

Disaster Declarations Information

Programs that provide information about the disaster declaration status of states (and localities within states) that have experienced a specific situation such as a fire, flood, storm, earthquake, epidemic, drought, sudden and severe energy shortage or other similar condition that is beyond the ability of local and/or state authorities to manage. The process to request state and/or federal assistance after a disaster or emergency is initiated when the local governing body or the Governor submits a formal request to the appropriate state or federal office. Program and financial assistance vary depending on the type of declaration or proclamation, whether the situation constitutes an emergency or a disaster, and the type of assistance required. A declaration by the President of a federal major disaster or emergency is required to initiate the flow of federal resources.

Disaster Donations Coordination

Organizations that assume responsibility in the aftermath of a major disaster or large-scale emergency for soliciting and/or collecting donations from the general public and distributing those items to people who have suffered a loss and are currently in need. Donations may include critical services, money, groceries, drinking water, blankets, personal comfort kits, disposable diapers, clothing, household goods, medical supplies, cleaning supplies, hand tools, plastic sheeting, tar paper, building materials and other relief supplies.

Disaster Loans

Programs that provide low-interest loans for people whose homes, personal property or businesses have been destroyed or have suffered disaster-related damage. Some programs require that the community be declared a disaster area by the President or the Governor before making the loans available.

Disaster Preparedness Information

Programs that increase public awareness of the measures that people can take before, during and after a major disaster or wide-scale emergency to reduce loss of life and property and improve their chances for survival. Included are programs that inspect the homes of individual residents and give them a report which suggests ways to enhance their safety and reduce the risk of property damage or loss, as well as those that deal with disaster preparedness in a more general way. Also included are programs that provide fact sheets, hazard maps and other types of technical information about natural disasters that individuals and communities can review and evaluate to see if their area is at risk.

Disaster Related Case Management

Programs that provide a single point of contact for disaster assistance applicants who need a wide variety of services that may be provided by many different organizations. The objective is to create a coordinated system that enables an individual or family who has survived a disaster to provide information about their situation to one organization that serves as their advocate and helps them organize and access disaster related resources and implement a recovery plan that will help them achieve pre-disaster levels of functioning and equilibrium. Disaster-related case managers assess the individual's needs, coordinate the delivery of needed services, ensure that services are obtained in accordance with the recovery plan, and follow up and monitor progress to ensure that services are having a beneficial impact on the problem. The service is particularly critical in situations where large-scale deaths and injuries have occurred.

Disaster Related Cash Grants

Programs that provide cash grants to businesses, individuals and families who have been affected by a major disaster or large-scale emergency including a public health crisis like a pandemic that disrupts the normal functioning of a community. Monies can generally be used to pay for temporary housing, housing repair or replacement, permanent housing construction, moving and storage, personal property replacement, medical and dental services, funeral and burial services, transportation assistance and other expenses not covered by insurance or other programs. Included are the FEMA Individuals and Households Program (a program jointly funded by the federal government and the state and administered by the state), stimulus packages approved by Congress and signed by the President, state supplemental programs, and disaster related cash grant programs offered by local government and private sector organizations. Also included are tax rebate credit programs, also known as economic impact credits, for those who were eligible for such cash grants but who did not receive one or the full amount, which can be claimed on a 2020 Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR, as well as the web tool launched by the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service that allows quick registration for payments for people who don't normally file a tax return.

Disaster Related Clothing/Emergency Supplies

Programs that provide clothing, blankets and other essentials immediately following a major disaster or large-scale emergency for people who have experienced substantial losses as a result of the incident.

Disaster Related Drinking Water

Programs that provide bottled water or other sources of drinking water for people whose access has been interrupted by a ruptured water main, water purification plant problems, contaminated wells or other disruptions in the water supply; or to vulnerable communities (especially people who are homeless) during periods of extreme heat as a protection against dehydration.

Disaster Related Shelter Services

Programs that arrange for shelter and/or a warm place for people to stay when dangerously cold weather is expected; and/or provide emergency shelter for people who have no place to stay as a result of a large-scale fire, flood, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or a localized incident such as a house fire, toxic spill emergency or other environmental hazard that disrupts the normal functioning of a community.

Disaster Relief/Recovery Organizations

Organizations that have a formal role in coordinating the provision of disaster relief and/or recovery services following a major disaster or large-scale emergency that disrupts the normal functioning of a community. Included are coalitions of community-based organizations in a defined geographic area whose members are prepared to act in concert to respond to the emergency needs of the community during the relief and recovery phases of a disaster and non-affiliated organizations with a designated role. Some collaboratives are local VOADs (known in some places as COADs), that are organized through state-level VOAD/COAD chapters which are affiliates of the national organization, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), a formal coalition of national voluntary organizations with a common interest in providing disaster relief. Other coalitions are "interfaiths" which gather financial and other resources from the faith community and distribute them to people in need, generally after American Red Cross and other immediate relief organizations have completed their work. NOTE: "Disaster Relief" is a category of services utilized by community agencies involved in disaster work. Government organizations do not recognize disaster relief as a formal part of the disaster cycle. Most of the services classified as disaster relief are considered by government to be part of disaster recovery and a few (e.g., disaster welfare inquiries) are categorized as disaster response.

Disaster Service Centers/Hotlines

Programs that establish one-stop centers that may be staffed by representatives from local, state and federal agencies, insurance companies and other disaster-related providers; or which operate hotlines that enable people to apply for financial and/or other assistance and/or to obtain the information they need to stabilize their current situation and begin to recover.

Disaster Services for Animals

Programs that provide emergency services for animals who have been threatened or affected by a major disaster or large-scale emergency that disrupts the normal functioning of a community.

Emergency Communications

Programs that provide services, often through one or more intermediaries, which enable two or more parties to communicate in emergency situations where normal means of communication are unavailable. Included are individuals (such as amateur radio or CB operators) and organizations (such as Amateur Radio Emergency Service) that provide alternative communications channels following a major disaster or large-scale emergency that disrupts the normal functioning of a community.

Emergency Management Exercises

Programs that are responsible for organizing exercises at the local, state or national level to test, evaluate and continually improve the emergency management system and the emergency operations plan. Exercises are simulated emergencies in which members of various agencies perform the tasks that would be expected of them in a real emergency. Included are drills which develop, test, and monitor specialized emergency skills in a single or limited emergency response procedure (e.g., communication) often within a single agency or department; tabletop exercises in which key staff or other emergency management personnel are gathered together informally and without time constraints, usually in a conference room setting, to discuss various simulated emergency situations, associated problems and resolutions; functional exercises which use a scenario to test the capability of individual or multiple emergency functions and give the players (the decision-makers) a fully simulated experience of being in a major emergency event without movement of personnel and equipment; and full scale exercises which involve the mobilization of personnel, equipment and resources, their actual movement, and testing of the coordination and response capability.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning

Emergency management agencies, health departments and other entities that conduct multi-hazard planning for their communities that will enable them to mitigate, prepare for, respond to or recover from natural disasters, public health crises, terrorist incidents or other emergencies that occur within or have an impact on their area. Emergency planning addresses citizen awareness and self-sufficiency, responder capabilities, interagency cooperation in emergency operations and the roles, responsibilities and activities of public and private organizations and their staffs in all phases of the disaster.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Training

Programs that provide training and/or technical assistance for the public and private sectors to enhance emergency planning efforts and the level of overall preparedness by government organizations, community based agencies, businesses, individuals and families for a major disaster or large-scale emergency that disrupts the normal functioning of a community.

Evacuation Centers

Programs that provide a gathering point from which people whose safety is threatened by an impending disaster or large-scale emergency can be transported to less vulnerable areas and/or facilities in which people can take refuge for the duration of the incident. Evacuation centers have no sleeping accommodations, but may later be converted to mass shelter care sites.

Evacuation Information

Programs that issue bulletins or otherwise inform the public of orders or advisories issued by local authorities to evacuate an area in preparation for a major fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, tsunami or other impending event which has the potential to cause loss of life, personal injury, property destruction or damage and wide-spread community disruption. Information generally includes evacuation zones and routes, pickup sites, the time frame for evacuation and details about the impending event.

Evacuation Transportation

Programs that provide an immediate and rapid means of transportation from an endangered location or area for people whose lives are threatened by an impending disaster or large-scale emergency. Included are programs that arrange for return transportation following a disaster once it is safe for evacuees to return home. Activities include acquisition of emergency transport vehicles, arrangements for use or reallocation of public and/or private vehicles, assessment of fuel availability and distribution, and development of evacuation contingency plans which identify alternative routes, vehicles and personnel as well as considerations for people with special needs including patients in health care facilities.

Extreme Cold Warming Centers

Programs that provide daytime or evening access to heated facilities during times of extreme cold for people who are temporarily at risk for exposure due to a power failure, fuel shortage, road closure, homelessness or other situations which make them vulnerable.

Extreme Heat Advisories/Warnings

Programs that issue bulletins to warn the public that unusually hot weather has been forecast and provide safety instructions for vulnerable individuals which may include the suggestion that they remain in their homes if air-conditioned or find appropriate shelter. When temperatures and the heat/humidity index are expected to be 100 degrees Fahrenheit (or higher, a heat advisory is issued. A heat warning is issued for temperatures and/or heat indices of 110 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. The exact combination of indices may vary between jurisdictions and may include factors such as dew point, cloud cover, humidity, wind speed and direction, and the duration of the hot spell. Extreme heat can be very dangerous when combined with high humidity or drought conditions.

Extreme Heat Cooling Centers

Programs that provide air conditioned facilities which are open to the public during dangerously hot weather. Spending a few hours in an air-conditioned environment can bring down the body's core temperature and make it easier to handle the heat. Older and/or frail adults, homeless people, parents with small children and persons with health conditions that may be made worse by the weather should consider spending time in a cooling center, particularly between 1pm and 5pm when temperatures are at their highest. Cooling centers may also have water and other liquids available to protect against dehydration, and some allow pets.

Extreme Heat Swimming Facilities

Public swimming pools, local spray grounds or other similar facilities whose normal hours of operation have been extended to meet the needs of the public during dangerously hot weather. Some facilities waive or reduce their admission fees during heat emergencies; and scheduled closings for maintenance are generally suspended.

Extreme Weather Shelters

Programs that provide overnight accommodations during times of extreme heat or cold for people who are temporarily at risk for exposure due to a power failure, fuel shortage, road closure, homelessness or other situations which make them vulnerable.

Fire Advisories

Programs that issue bulletins or otherwise inform the public regarding the current location, severity of conditions and probable path of a brush fire, grass fire, woodland fire or large urban fire that may be a threat to those in the vicinity. Fire advisories may also include safety instructions for people who are in immediate peril.

Fire Conditions Bulletins

Programs that issue bulletins to warn the public that conditions are such that the potential for a wildfire along the urban interface that threatens residential areas is higher than usual. Fire conditions bulletins are issued when weather conditions are hot, dry and windy, when there has been a lack of recent rain and when local brush is dry and overgrown.

Fire Prevention Information

Programs that are designed to increase public awareness of the measures that people can take to protect homes, businesses and property from the threat of fire. Fire prevention programs provide information about faulty wiring and other electrical hazards, kitchen fires, smoking risks, child-related fire safety, flammable materials storage, brush clearance, fire retardant building materials and ground cover, techniques for fighting a fire until the fire agency arrives (first aid firefighting) and other similar topics. Included are programs that inspect the homes of individual citizens and give them a report which recommends ways to protect their property as well as those that deal with fire safety in a more general way.

Fire Services

Programs that are responsible for preventing, investigating, controlling and extinguishing fires. Activities include fire safety education, firefighting, investigating the causes of suspicious fires, maintaining equipment and trained firefighters necessary for a quick and efficient response to fires when they occur, and enforcing fire codes which protect lives and property from fires and explosions arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devices, or from conditions hazardous to life and property in the use or occupancy of buildings or other premises.

High Tide Advisories

Programs that issue bulletins which warn coastal residents when dangerously high tides, storm surges or storm tides are expected. High tide advisories may also include safety instructions for people who are likely to be affected.

High Wind Advisories

Programs that issue bulletins which warn the public when wind conditions constitute a danger to life and property or a hazard for drivers. High winds are particularly dangerous to high profile vehicles such as trucks, vans and SUVs or to drivers who are towing a trailer.

Post Disaster Cleanup

Programs that provide financial assistance, volunteer labor, equipment and supplies or other forms of support to help clear away rubble and clean up the community following a major disaster or large-scale emergency that has wreaked havoc on the community.

Post Disaster Food Services

Programs that meet the basic nutritional needs of relief workers and/or individuals and families whose homes have been made uninhabitable by a disaster or large scale emergency and who have no other means of purchasing food and/or preparing a meal. Food assistance may also available to individuals who have experienced a localized incident such as a house fire.

Post Disaster Housing Assistance

Programs that provide for the short and long-term housing needs of individuals and families who have lost their place of residence in a major disaster or large-scale emergency by providing them with a mechanism for reporting damage, by arranging for temporary housing while their homes are being repaired or rebuilt, by helping them identify alternative short and/or long-term housing replacement arrangements, by supporting their ability to make structural repairs that will enable them to return to their homes, or by supporting their ability to rebuild. Some forms of post disaster housing assistance are generally also available to individuals who have experienced a localized incident such as a house fire that has made them temporarily homeless.

Post Disaster Legal Counseling Services

Programs staffed by volunteer lawyers who provide counseling and advice at no cost for low-income individuals and families who need assistance with insurance claims, landlord/tenant issues, mortgage/foreclosure issues, home repair contracts and contractors, replacement of wills and other legal documents destroyed in the disaster, drafting powers of attorney, consumer protection matters and other disaster-related legal issues. People who require further assistance are generally referred to a private lawyer who may be able to represent them at no fee or for a reduced fee. Included are programs that operate under the agreement between FEMA and the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association and programs offered by local bar associations or local legal services programs. Legal assistance in the FEMA/Bar Association program is limited to cases that will not produce a fee for the attorney, such as lawsuits in which the lawyer receives a percentage of money obtained through the suit.

Post Disaster Mental Health Services

Programs that provide a variety of services following or in the midst of a major disaster or large-scale emergency which help individuals cope with their own psychological reactions to the incident and/or prepare them to provide emotional support for family members, friends and neighbors who are feeling frightened, confused and no longer in control of their lives because of the event.

Post Disaster Safety Inspection/Evaluation

Programs that conduct building and/or mobile home inspections following a major disaster or large-scale emergency to evaluate their structural integrity and overall safety, to certify those that are safe to inhabit and to close and/or condemn those that are unsafe to enter. Inspectors look for structural damage including damage to foundations, floors, load-bearing walls, ceilings, and roofs as well as damage to components of fixed utilities such as gas, electric, water and sewage and/or installed heating and cooling systems.

Sandbags/Water Diversion Systems

Programs that provide burlap bags and supplies of sand or other temporary mechanisms for altering the course of water when flooding is expected.

Tsunami Advisories

Programs that activate warning systems (sirens or other mechanisms) and/or issue bulletins to warn the public of ocean-based earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or other events which are likely to produce tsunamis. Tsunami watches indicate that a tsunami is possible but not confirmed. Tsunami warnings confirm the approach of a tsunami and may include safety instructions for people who are in immediate peril. A tsunami is a series of ocean waves generated by the sudden displacement of large volumes of water by thrust-type submarine earthquakes, submarine volcanic eruptions, meteor impact, or coastal landslides. Tsunami wave activity is virtually imperceptible in the open ocean but tremendously destructive when it reaches shore, potentially stripping beaches of sand, undermining trees and other coastal vegetation and moving inland hundreds of feet, crushing boats, homes and other coastal structures in its wake. At some locations, the advancing turbulent front may be the most destructive part of the wave; at others the greatest damage may be caused by the outflow of water back to sea.