Femas Disaster Declaration Process

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act authorizes the President to issue ¿major disaster¿ or ¿emergency¿ declarations before or after catastrophes occur. Emergency declarations trigger aid that protects property, public health, and safety and lessens or averts the threat of an incident becoming a catastrophic event. Contents of this report: (1) Background; (2) Congress and the Declaration Process; (3) Presidential and Gubernatorial Discretion; (4) Preliminary Damage Assessments; (5) Factors Considered for Public Assistance in Major Disaster Declaration; (6) Factors Considered for Individual Assistance in Major Disaster Declarations; (7) Concluding Observations. Charts and tables.