FEMA
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Different forms of disasters devastate different parts of the US on a monthly basis and cause the populations in those areas to require assistance in recovering quickly, which is one of multiple roles a federal government undertakes. This significant position includes having to successfully tackle issues that are beyond the abled abilities of state and local communities to handle on their own. When responding to a devastating disaster, the federal government follows a complex process consisting of evaluation, assistance, and recovery depending on the severity of this disaster. Before being involved, the government must evaluate the entire situation depending on multiple factors that FEMA has to examine, all with the permission of the governor first.
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The federal government may determine whether the “emergency” deserves any attention by categorizing these events as an Emergency Declaration, Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, or Denial. Once a disaster is declared, there are medical and disaster experts sent by the government to offer different forms of assistance to the population using their expertise and resources. The federal government makes three types of assistance available, including individual assistance, public assistance, hazard mitigation, and specifically for business owners, application for loans.
When the situation becomes stable again, direct federal involvement in disaster relief ends, and turns over the operations of disaster recovery to the state and local authorities. The federal government’s role in disaster relief helps communities recover faster and stronger from these unfortunate events than the places could’ve on their own.
When the situation becomes stable again, direct federal involvement in disaster relief ends, and turns over the operations of disaster recovery to the state and local authorities. The federal government’s role in disaster relief helps communities recover faster and stronger from these unfortunate events than the places could’ve on their own.
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Even when the disaster damage is similar, FEMA, the government agency that is responsible for assisting Americans to recover from disasters, often helps white disaster victims and the communities more than people of color. The problem seems to stem from multiple complex systemic factors, which tends to favor people and communities that have more resources from the beginning. For instance, white people with significant disaster damage that received FEMA help experienced their own personal wealth increase while black residents lost a significant amount of wealth.
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The imbalance continues to happen as climate change fuels more frequent and destructive disasters which marginalized communities tend to be the most exposed to less disaster and financial damage recovery. The higher the percentage of black residents living in a specific ZIP code, the less likely applicants would receive an inspection and funds for any repairs. Even when disaster victims in African-American neighborhoods were able to receive a damage inspection, 11% of black homeowners had their requests denied without any reason provided. When homeowners in black areas succeeded in receiving an approval of their applications, FEMA awarded them less money than the average amount than any white applicants in white areas.
Since black neighborhoods often receive less federal spending, this can lead to them struggling to recover, suffer from a financial setback, and multiple other issues. The various FEMA programs that exist appear to make racial inequality worse, which reveals the history of racial bias in FEMA’s history.
Since black neighborhoods often receive less federal spending, this can lead to them struggling to recover, suffer from a financial setback, and multiple other issues. The various FEMA programs that exist appear to make racial inequality worse, which reveals the history of racial bias in FEMA’s history.
Racial Bias in US Response
Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey first made landfall in San Jose, Texas on August 25, 2017. It hit Texas as a category 4 hurricane. Hurricane Harvey became the second most costly hurricane to hit the US since 1900.
These graphs show that FEMA responded more to white applicants than to black applicants after Hurricane Harvey. Even though all these applicants needed FEMA’s aid after the disaster that Hurricane Harvey caused, most black applicants were denied service. These graphs showcase FEMA’s racial bias.
Hurricane Irma
Hurricane Irma made landfall in Cudjoe Key, Florida on September 10, 2017. When Hurricane Irma first made landfall it was a category 4 hurricane. Hurricane Irma sustained 185 mile winds for 37 hours, which is the longest any storm around the globe has ever maintained those levels of intensity for.
People who can’t own their homes/are renters tend to be poorer than the people who have bought their homes. A person’s zip code largely determines where they’ll be living, and poorer neighborhoods have a lot of similar zip codes. It’s harder for people of color to own their houses than it is for white people.
Additionally, people who rent are often shuffled into poorer neighborhoods with similar zip codes, and people who own their houses live in wealthier neighborhoods. They often have different zip codes. It matters with regards to FEMA for a fairly simple reason: FEMA is more likely to help out people who are homeowners rather than renters. This is because of racial bias (it’s a lot harder for people of color to own homes), and the fact that homeowners often have more property to be damaged in the event of a disaster. My analysis tells us that white people are helped much more often in the wake of disasters. Additionally, we’ve learned that the people who need help most (often communities of color) don’t receive this specialized assistance from FEMA.
Additionally, people who rent are often shuffled into poorer neighborhoods with similar zip codes, and people who own their houses live in wealthier neighborhoods. They often have different zip codes. It matters with regards to FEMA for a fairly simple reason: FEMA is more likely to help out people who are homeowners rather than renters. This is because of racial bias (it’s a lot harder for people of color to own homes), and the fact that homeowners often have more property to be damaged in the event of a disaster. My analysis tells us that white people are helped much more often in the wake of disasters. Additionally, we’ve learned that the people who need help most (often communities of color) don’t receive this specialized assistance from FEMA.
Hurricane Maria
Hurricane Maria made landfall first in the Caribbean island of Dominica. It then directly hit Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Turks and Caicos. The storm lasted from September 16, 2017 to October 2, 2017. When Hurricane Maria made landfall it was a category 4 hurricane but also reached to become a category 5 hurricane. The impact of this hurricane devastated the majority of the people in Puerto Rico as this disaster became the strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in more than 80 years.
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Despite the fact that Irma, Harvey and Maria were all rather similar storms, the US government’s response to Maria was very different from its response to the other two disasters. And the response--or rather, the lack of a response--proved to be devastating for the citizens of Puerto Rico. When you consider the fact that Puerto Rico had already been struggling with bankruptcy and failing infrastructure, the situation gets even worse.
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Far fewer FEMA respondents were in Puerto Rico during the disaster, the country received very small donations from other countries, and electrical power was only fully restored a year after the disaster. Is it really any wonder that the death toll in Puerto Rico was so much higher than the other two? Hurricane Harvey was responsible for the deaths of 103 people; Hurricane Irma was responsible for the deaths of 129 people, both directly and indirectly for both storms. The death toll in Puerto Rico is still largely unknown. But as of 2021, Puerto Rican officials have estimated that the actual death toll was around 3,000 to 4,000 deaths.
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It’s not much of a stretch at all to say that Puerto Rico’s massive death toll was a result of total government failure & inaction. Puerto Rico didn’t get the help it desperately needed from the US government, and its people suffered as a result.
Even the Presidential visits were different after the storms. Trump visited Texans twice after Hurricane Harvey hit. He visited Florida four days after Hurricane Irma hit. But he only visited Puerto Rico two whole weeks after Hurricane Maria occurred. And those statistics should show people just how little care Trump and FEMA alike had for the citizens of Puerto Rico. |
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Although all these hurricanes had similar strengths and intensity, the areas that were affected by Harvey received more aid than places affected by Maria and Irma. Harvey hit San Jose, Texas, Irma hit southern Florida and Maria hit Puerto Rico. The graph “Direct deaths, indirect deaths, and total deaths” displays how the lack of aid caused the massive death toll in Puerto Rico. The graph “Federal Personnel deployed” directly shows the lack of support that Puerto Rico got compared to San Jose Texas and Southern Florida.