Reference no: EM132623805

1. Hurricane Katrina was a seminal catastrophic event that exposed a number of weaknesses in our disaster response and recovery capabilities for natural and man-made disasters. These weaknesses arose following 9/11, the reorganization of FEMA into the new DHS caused by 9/11, and the government focus on the terrorist threat. In this lesson, we learned that major catastrophes like Katrina require a disaster response and recovery capability that is both disciplined and agile. Recently, Hurricane Harvey, also a major Category 4 storm, impacted the Gulf Coast, not too far from where Hurricane Katrina made landfall.

How was the outcome of this hurricane response and recovery effort different from the outcome of Katrina? Based on what you have learned, would you have suggested anything about the response efforts be done differently?

2. The media is often a considerable factor in how the public views the relative success or failure of the disaster response to major catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina. Describe a time where you have seen the media cover a disaster in your community. It can be a smaller scale disasters, like a fire or weather damage. Do you think the media properly handled this disaster, or was it detrimental to the response and recovery efforts? What would you suggest that the media do differently in the future?

Essay

This involves the evolution of Federal Emergency Management from the formation of FEMA through the lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy. For this , compose an essay in which you do the following:

Discuss the formation of FEMA, then describe how the position of FEMA changed following the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.

Discuss the intended and unintended outcomes that emerged following FEMA's incorporation into DHS.

Describe how Hurricane Katrina swung the pendulum back towards natural disasters from a focus on terrorism following 9/11.

Describe the subsequent lessons learned and improvements made by the Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act of 2006 and how they affected emergency response and recovery in Hurricane Sandy.

Discuss the changes in the process for Presidential Disaster Declarations due to the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina.

Describe how FEMA works with local and state emergency management services and community stakeholders.

Identify improvements instituted by the Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act of 2006 and how they affected emergency response and recovery in Hurricane Sandy.

3. In a major catastrophe such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, describe what changes to "law, policy, and doctrine" you would recommend if you were a member of a Blue Ribbon Commission.

4. Discuss how the concepts in this course can be applied to real-world situations and increase your chances of career or life success.