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1 1 (May 28, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/govepqk0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Climate Change, Slow-Onset Disasters, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Updated May 28, 2024 FEMA and Climate Change The United States is already experiencing certain effects of climate change, including high temperature extremes and heavy precipitation events. The U.S. Global Change Research Program, among other bodies, expects these trends to continue and intensify, likely resulting in more severe and frequent slow- onset events (e.g., drought; sea level rise), compound disasters (e.g., extreme rainfall combined with coastal flooding), and cascading events (e.g., mudslides caused by flooding after wildfires). Such events may not have clearly defined start or end dates, and cumulative damage may not be immediately apparent. Congress may consider the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) role in addressing these incidents. FEMA administers federal disaster relief authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act, P.L. 93-288, as amended). Although FEMA does not have an explicit mission to address climate change, the agency is increasing its activities related to nationwide adaptation to some of its effects, including extreme weather events. This Insight highlights issues FEMA may face when activating the Stafford Act for slow-onset events endemic to a changing climate. Slow-onset disasters are not mentioned or defined in the Stafford Act, FEMA's regulations, or guidance, nor are they included in existing emergency or major disaster definitions. Stafford Act Declarations The Stafford Act authorizes the President to declare an incident an emergency or a major disaster. A Stafford Act declaration serves as a means to provide federal assistance to states, territories, and tribes for incident response, recovery, and mitigation. FEMA may authorize several forms of assistance pursuant to a Stafford Act declaration, including Individual Assistance (IA), Public Assistance (PA), and Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA). Under the Stafford Act, governors or tribal chief executives may request an emergency or major disaster declaration when an incident is of such severity and magnitude that state, local, tribal, or territorial governments (SLTTs) are unable to effectively respond without federal assistance. Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN11696 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress