Pressure builds for FEMA to declare deadly heat events as disasters
Extreme heat kills more people than nearly every other weather event combined. But does the government respond to these potentially lethal events as they do with hurricanes and floods? Not yet.
A disaster declaration by the president could allow states to be reimbursed for taking action that could save lives — such as opening cooling centers, distributing water and checking in with residents door-to-door. States could also ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency to launch an emergency response, such as supplying medical teams or rounding up generators.
Yet there has never been a presidential disaster declaration for a heat wave, no matter how deadly. Some say a change is long overdue.
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Some local and national politicians are hoping to add extreme heat to the list of major disaster-qualifying events to better reflect its threat. In early June, Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) and Sylvia Garcia (D-Tex.) introduced a bill to add extreme heat to the list.
In an April letter, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego called on FEMA to do the same. She recalled how in 2014, her first year as an elected official, the state received a disaster declaration for catastrophic flooding. The historic flood broke rainfall records, closed schools and left thousands without power. Gallego said FEMA helped Phoenix, a desert community, use sandbags to prevent flood damage and later rebuild.
“There’s so much knowledge out there and so much ability for the federal government to provide support,” she said. “We can save a lot of lives if the federal government could declare heat a disaster and partner with local government in addressing it.”
Gallego added that the effort has the support of mayors across the country: The United States Conference of Mayors unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Congress to support enabling FEMA to include extreme heat on the list...
Source:
Kate Selig, Washington Post