There have been many natural disasters in the US recently. Natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires has hit the country and affected millions of people. The government plays a huge role in the recovery process. They must provide assistance and aid for the disaster victims and get people the help that they need. In the video “Cuppa GAO: Coffee With Our Experts – Disaster Assistance”, they discuss federal disaster assistance efforts and challenges. They discuss how the federal government responds to natural disasters. One way that the government responds and get people the aid they need is by direct help. The Coast Guard searches and rescue disaster victims and The Department of Defense and military delivers supplies. It is very important …show more content…
FEMA supports state and local governments during the disasters in a number of ways. The video states that they provide urban search and rescue teams to help people get out of their flooded houses. They provide logistical support, getting commodities like food and water where it needs to go. FEMA also supports with money, “they provide money to help in rebuild local infrastructure and give money to help citizens get back on their feet and get their homes.”(U.S. GAO, 2017). FEMA supports state and local governments with assistance and …show more content…
The federal department that spent the largest amount of money on disaster relief between 2005 and 2014 was the Department of Homeland Security. Their total obligations between 2005 and 2014 was $145,641,028. They provided the most disaster assistance out of the seventeen federal departments. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website, the following are some of the assistance they provide during disasters. They assist people with temporary housing, assisting with money to rent a place to live or a government provided housing unit. The DHS also assists with repair, “Money is available to homeowners to repair damage from the disaster to their primary residence that is not covered by insurance.” (DHS, 2015) The DHS also assists with replacement, money is available to homeowners to replace their destroyed home that is not covered by their insurance. The DHS also assists with other important needs to disaster victims such as disaster-related medical, dental, funeral, and burial costs. “Clothing and household items; tools required for your job; and necessary educational materials” are also assisted by The Department of Homeland Security to disaster