When Disaster Strikes, Who Shows Up?
Inside FEMA’s mission, the growing challenges, and the people who refuse to give up.
What we're thinking about
We're thinking about the flooding in Texas and what it means to respond to a disaster like this one. Luckily, we are friends with two veteran FEMA employees who post as @rebelfema.altgov.info on Bluesky. They were kind enough to answer our questions.
We the Builders: What do you want people to know about responding to disasters?
RebelFEMA: One thing I wish people understood about disaster response is that it's incredibly complex with FEMA coordinating resources across the entire federal family and the non-profit sector each with a role--from food and water to shelter, health, search and rescue, and recovery. We come together to support a community on one of the worst days of their lives and we stay to help them recover.
The effort is complex and massive and doesn't end when the cameras leave. Behind the scenes, there are people working nonstop to help communities stand back up and then to recover. It's not glamorous work but the people of FEMA are proud to do it.
We the Builders: What do you expect to be different this disaster season compared to past years?
RebelFEMA: Not gonna lie—there’s a real fear that disasters will be used to advance DHS goals that target immigrant communities. In that environment, responses that align with those goals get more attention and support, while others may get left behind. We believe DHS may want to set up Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in places where there are higher immigrant populations to target them and we also believe there exists a scenario where ICE will have a presence in the DRCs, where people can come in person to register for assistance from FEMA, SBA, Disaster SNAP, and other resources.
At the same time, we think we will see a smaller FEMA footprint in the field. Fewer Disaster Survivor Assistance teams that go door to door and fewer DRCs. That means fewer chances for survivors to talk to a real person, get help where they are. And wait times in the phone lines are huge, if we lose contract support there they will get longer.
And while our mission remains the same—coordinating the full federal response to support communities in crisis we will be doing it with fewer people, tighter budgets, more politicization and growing political pressure. This season will test our focus, our values and our capacity individually and collectively as an agency that is very mission focused. 😢
A personal note
This article was put together by our executive director and publisher, Kate Green. She has something to say:
On this day in 2022, my family and I survived a natural disaster. We were displaced for months, buoyed by community support, good insurance adjusters, and contractors. We weren't in a federal disaster zone, so we had no contact with FEMA, but it still means that the experience of disaster survivors is personal to me.
It's harrowing, expensive, and time-consuming to recover, even with the resources we had. It's hard to convey how unmooring it is to have your home badly damaged or destroyed. I cannot fathom what it would be to lose a family member or be injured myself.
Many communities that FEMA works with have people with far less than my family and I have. They need expertise, care, and compassion. As RebelFEMA says here, this is provided by a wide coalition of federal, state, local, and non-government partners. The lessons that FEMA has learned over the years are still being valiantly applied even as their agency is being decimated, minimized, and hobbled. Without this expertise, the rest of the partners in this coalition will be without those hard-earned lessons and those in need are more likely to suffer for it.
What we're reading, watching, or listening to
Are you in need of support for a natural disaster? FEMA's website has links to register for aid, a link to their app, and other resources
Do you want to know if your home is in a flood plane? Check out FEMA's flood maps
Is this flood event inspiring you to prepare? FEMA has you covered there as well: here are their preparation resources
What's bringing us hope
For us, knowing that people who care so much are in the room trying to help the devastated people in Kerr County, TX brings us hope. People from all over the country dropped everything to go and help, locals are creating support where it's needed, and FEMA is bringing expertise that no one else in the country has. No one wants a disaster, but the communities that arise around events like this are inspirational.
How to get involved
We the Builders is currently building a platform for people like RebelFEMA to publish long form content. Please donate to support our effort to get the word out on what's really happening inside the federal government.
About this newsletter
This newsletter is posted by the We the Builders team and will be published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We stand for an effective government that serves its people and we won't rest until the government is rebuilt, and built better.