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3 Part Topic paper
Part one
Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA has a program, which helps people after a disaster. The program is Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Through the program, various states and local government are given grants to help implement long-term hazard mitigation measures when a major disaster affects a given area. It aims at reducing loss of lives and deaths during a disaster as well as ensuring implementation of migration measures to curb further disasters (Jenkins, 2004, p. 2).
In my own assessment and point of view, I believe that the program has achieved its goals. It has helped many local communities and people struck by disasters. Some of the areas the program has assisted include elevation of flood prone business and homes by raising structures to higher levels or floors hence allowing water to flow underneath. This has saved people’s property as well as lives (Craig, 2011, P. 61071). It has also assisted in relocation of people and property from flood-prone homes. This has been achieved by acquisition of property and compensating those affected. People in such areas are taken to other conducive areas for settling, saving them from the risks of losing their lives.
It has also assisted in development of model codes requirements and in construction of guides to assist in the retrofitting buildings, which has helped to minimize the damage that results from flooding, winds and earthquakes. It has also assisted in building of floodwall systems in flood-stricken areas to help protect critical facilities in the areas. The program is normally required to fund or pay 75 percent of the total cost of a project while 25% by the government (Jenkins, 2004, p. 21). For instance, between 1993 and 2003, an approximate of 3.5 billion US dollars was spent under the program in windstorm, flood, earthquakes risk (Craig, 2012, p. 24505).
Part two
An example of a town that its residences were relocated is Boone in North Carolina. This was after it was hit by a hurricane Fran that caused flooding. This happened in 90s. FEMA contributed mitigation funds that were released in phases. The flood residence and nursing home in Anne –Marie and Elizabeth Drive neighborhood were acquired and relocated. In phase I, 15 homes and two residence homes were acquired for 1.27 Million US dollars. FEMA contributed 63 percent, sate contributed 21 percent and 16 percent from the town of Boone. Phase two kick started in March 1997 and 15 homes were acquired at 1.3 million US dollars. Phase III involved acquisition of Glenhaven II nursing home at a cost of 2.4 Million US dollars (Mitigation success publications 2010, para. 10).
Part three
In allocation of funds, FEMA follows stipulated laws and regulation as set by the federal state. One of the regulations followed is to ensure that the state complies with the Federal regulations. The law requires the state or any jurisdiction to have a mitigation plan before release of (HMGP) funds. The projects are also supposed to be in tandem with the environmental laws and regulations, be technically feasible and be cost-effective according to the federal laws (Callahan, 2012, p. 43100).
There is also a formula used in allocation of the funds. The sliding scale is a formula popularly used (Godschalk, Beatley, Berke, Brower & Kaiser 1999, p. 401). This plan helps the body to calculate and distribute the funds equally. I therefore agreed that this distribution is appropriate and do not need any adjustment.
The major projects that (HMGP) allocated money includes disasters caused by winds, flooding, and earthquake and food shortage. Flooding received more funding. This was in tandem with the increasing number of flooding that has continued to affect many areas across the world (Godschalk, Beatley, Berke, Brower & Kaiser 1999, p. 401). Flooding causes damage to landscape, property and even life hence the reason for this high allocation. The funds allocated to earthquake came second, wind third and food shortage fifth.
The reason why the funds were allocated in this proportion was attributed to the magnitude and spread of the disaster. Flooding occurs in most of the areas and there requires huge allocation of funds. Likewise earthquake related disaster are numerous hence the allocation.
References
Craig, F.W. (2011). Disaster Assistance: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Federal Register, 76(191): 61070-61071
Craig, F.C. (2012). Hazard Mitigation Assistance for Wind Retrofit Projects for Existing Residential Buildings, Federal Register, 77(79): 24505-24506.
Callahan, M. (2012). Privacy Act of 1974; Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency–009 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Programs System of Records, Federal Register, 77 (141): 43100-43103.
Godschalk, D., Beatley, T., Berke, P., Brower, D., & Kaiser, E. (1999). Natural Hazard
Mitigation: Recasting Disaster Policy and Planning. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.
Jenkins, W. (2004). Status of FEMA’s FY03 Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program: GAO-04-727R, GAO Reports.
Mitigation success publications. (2010). Multi-hazards. Retrieved from: http://mitigation.eeri.org/files/resources-for-success/00087.pdf
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