Sign In or Register Here


8 plus six

Please enter your e-mail address below. We will email you a link to reset your password.

3 plus eight

To complete your registration, please verify your email address.

4 plus eight

We have sent an email to the address you provided. Please click the link in the email to confirm your email address.

Your account has been marked for password reset. Please change your password.

8 plus one

Only registered ICC members have access to this article at this time.

Explore all the benefits that ICC Membership has to offer and become a member today to gain access to this exciting content.

If you're already an ICC member Sign In Now.


Can We Help?
  • Reset My Password
  • I Need More Help
ICC Homepage
  • Family of Solutions
  • ICCSafe
  • myICC
  • Digital Codes
  • cdpACCESS
  • Store
  • Support
  • Journal
Skip to Main Content
  • ICC Main
  • myICC
  • BSJ
  • Journal
  • Store
  • Store
  • cdpACCESS
  • cdpACCESS
  • Digital Codes
  • Help
  • Help
    • Family of Solutions
    • ICCSafe
    • myICC
    • Digital Codes
    • cdpACCESS
    • Store
    • Support
    • Journal
Building Safety Journal Homepage Building Safety Journal Homepage
Building Safety Journal Homepage Building Safety Journal Homepage
  • Archive
    • June, 2022 Articles
    • May, 2022 Articles
    • April, 2022 Articles
    • March, 2022 Articles
    • Febuary, 2022 Articles
    • January, 2022 Articles
    • 2022 Articles
    • 2021 Articles
  • Browse by Category
    • Deep Dives
    • Member News
    • Personal Perspectives
    • Quick Hits
    • Technical Topics
    • Press Releases
    • Sponsored Content
    • View All
  • Browse by Topic
    • Buildings, Construction, Architecture/Design
    • Fire, Wildland-Urban Interface
    • Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Pools/Spas
    • Energy, Solar, Green, Sustainability
    • Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, Resiliency
  • Subscribe
    • Family of Solutions
    • ICCSafe
    • myICC
    • Digital Codes
    • cdpACCESS
    • Store
    • Support
    • Journal

Join today!

Keep up-to-date on crucial industry news, innovative training and expert technical advice with a free subscription to the award-winning Building Safety Journal.

Subscribe
  • Archive
    • June, 2022 Articles
    • May, 2022 Articles
    • April, 2022 Articles
    • March, 2022 Articles
    • Febuary, 2022 Articles
    • January, 2022 Articles
    • 2022 Articles
    • 2021 Articles
  • Browse by Category
    • Deep Dives
    • Member News
    • Personal Perspectives
    • Quick Hits
    • Technical Topics
    • Press Releases
    • Sponsored Content
    • View All
  • Browse by Topic
    • Buildings, Construction, Architecture/Design
    • Fire, Wildland-Urban Interface
    • Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Pools/Spas
    • Energy, Solar, Green, Sustainability
    • Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, Resiliency
  • Subscribe
  • Archive
    • June, 2022 Articles
    • May, 2022 Articles
    • April, 2022 Articles
    • March, 2022 Articles
    • Febuary, 2022 Articles
    • January, 2022 Articles
    • 2022 Articles
    • 2021 Articles
  • Browse by Category
    • Deep Dives
    • Member News
    • Personal Perspectives
    • Quick Hits
    • Technical Topics
    • Press Releases
    • Sponsored Content
    • View All
  • Browse by Topic
    • Buildings, Construction, Architecture/Design
    • Fire, Wildland-Urban Interface
    • Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Pools/Spas
    • Energy, Solar, Green, Sustainability
    • Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, Resiliency
  • Subscribe

FEMA releases 2017 hurricane report

July 25th, 2018
by Gabe Maser
  • Quick Hits

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) recently released 2017 Hurricane Season FEMA After-Action Report offers a candid look at what the agency did well and where it needs to improve. The report details FEMA’s response to the 2017 hurricane season, in which a catastrophic series of natural disasters hit in rapid succession, surpassing the agency’s expectations and preparedness efforts.

The report focuses on the three major hurricanes to impact the U.S. in 2017: Harvey, which made landfall in Texas on Aug. 25; Irma, which struck the Virgin Islands on Sept. 6 and the Florida Keys thereafter; and Maria, whose primary targets were St. Croix and Puerto Rico on Sept. 19 and 20. Each hurricane was among the top-five costliest hurricanes on record, and collectively caused $265 billion in damage.

In response, FEMA obligated more than $21 billion, and in its response and recovery efforts deployed 17,000 FEMA and federal Surge Capacity Force personnel and nearly 14,000 staff from the U.S. Department of Defense. But the report details several areas where the agency can improve: the agency experienced significant personnel shortages as it entered into the hurricane season, lacked critical aid supplies and had trouble coordinating logistics while responding to Hurricane Maria’s devastation in Puerto Rico.

The report stresses the importance of building a culture of preparedness at the individual, family, state, local, tribal, territorial and federal levels. It also directs the agency to work with and encourage state and local governments to invest in more resilient infrastructure and “encourage adoption and enforcement of modern model building codes.”

On July 18, FEMA Associate Administrator for Response and Recovery Jeffrey Byard testified on the report and FEMA’s readiness for the 2018 hurricane season before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. Byard’s written testimony highlights the importance of land use planning and local building codes in pre-disaster mitigation, stating that “[c]odes and standards are only as good as the mechanisms in place to enforce them.”  Byard also offered the agency’s support for the goals of ICC-supported legislation currently before Congress that would shift funding to pre-disaster mitigation and provide new resources for modern building code adoption and enforcement, both pre- and post-disaster.

About the Author
Gabe Maser
Gabe Maser is the vice president of government relations and national strategy for the International Code Council, where he manages and directs its federal and national policy and legislative priorities agenda, and maintains and enhances the Code Council’s advocacy presence in Washington, D.C. Maser brings an extensive background in government relations and federal policy to his role at the Code Council. Most recently, he served as a regional director for market expansion and policy at Renovate America. Previously, he worked as the director of federal-state relations for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a legislative assistant for a member of Congress and an associate at Baker Botts L.L.P. Maser has a bachelor’s degree in biology from McGill University and a juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. He is a licensed lawyer in the District of Columbia and Massachusetts.
Submissions
Check out upcoming BSJ topics and send us articles for consideration:
Or send by email

Want to advertise in the BSJ?
Click Here

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

  • Cannabis Facilities
    Purchase Now
  • I-Code Essentials
    Purchase Now
  • Spanish I-Codes
    Purchase Now
  • 2021 I-Codes
    Purchase Now
  • Building Resilience General Code
  • Special Inspector Exam
ICC ICC
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe

Connect With Us

    

ICC Family of Solutions

  • Quick Links
    • Member resources
    • Discussions
    • Become a member
    • Get involved in code development
    • Get certified
    • Find a job
    • Careers at ICC
    • Get a code opinion
    • Get a plan review
    • Shop ICC
    • Privacy Policy
    • License Agreement
    • User Agreement
COPYRIGHT © 2022 INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • cdpACCESS
  • Live Chat
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
SxVp9vtrKhTJTYSCvJkWoqzgtIZp2AxvVv-__KmLem4=.html