Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: New Hampshire

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Updated March 6, 2017
Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: New Hampshire
Overview
Local Impacts
The Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) is managed by the Federal
From FY2000 to FY2015, 10 county governments in New
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is the
Hampshire received aid under major disaster declarations.
primary source of federal assistance following a major
Grafton County received aid for the highest number of
disaster declaration. The authority to declare a major
declarations during this period, with 11.
disaster is provided to the President under the Robert T.
Stafford Emergency Relief and Disaster Assistance Act
Figure 1. DRF Actual and Projected Obligations for
(P.L. 93-288).
Declared Major Disasters in New Hampshire, by Fiscal
Year
The information below includes only DRF funding
Figures are in millions of dol ars, truncated. The number of
provided to New Hampshire as a result of assistance
declarations per year is in parentheses.
associated with a major disaster declaration. This
information does not include other assistance provided
through the DRF or disaster assistance provided by other
federal sources, such as Small Business Administration
disaster loans.
FEMA administers disaster relief through regional offices
around the country. New Hampshire is part of Region I,
headquartered in Boston, MA.
Major Disaster Declarations: FY2000-
FY2015
A total of 19 major disaster declarations were made in the
state of New Hampshire between FY2000 and FY2015.
During that time, there were also four requests for major
disaster declarations that were denied. The approved
declarations led to $201 million in actual and projected
federal obligations from the DRF. Actual and projected
obligations are used throughout this In Focus to account for
the total amount of federal assistance ultimately obligated.
This funding does not include the assistance that was
provided directly by the state, either as a cost-share for
federal assistance or through the state’s own authorities and
programs.
There was a high level of variation in the amount of actual

and projected funding obligated for major disasters each
Source: CRS analysis of FEMA DRF obligations data as of December
year, with more than $47 million in actual and projected
2015.
obligations for disasters in FY2006 alone. Figure 1
Notes: Actual and projected obligations are recorded in the fiscal
displays the actual and projected obligations to New
year in which the major disaster was declared. Only obligations from
Hampshire each fiscal year. The highest number of
the FEMA DRF are included. Please consult the “Additional
declarations in a single year was three, which occurred in
Resources” section for information on other federal assistance
FY2013.
programs.
Most Costly Declarations
Types of Assistance Provided for Major
The declaration associated with the largest actual and
Disasters
projected obligations from the DRF to the state of New
A major disaster declaration can authorize funding for
Hampshire was for severe storms and flooding in FY2007.
different purposes, depending on the needs of the state.
This declaration resulted in more than $38 million in actual
These purposes include:
and projected obligations to New Hampshire from the DRF.
Public Assistance, which is used by tribal, state, or local
The next two most costly declarations were for severe
governments, or certain private nonprofit organizations
storms and flooding in FY2006 and Tropical Storm Irene in
to provide emergency protective services, conduct
FY2011.
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Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: New Hampshire
debris removal operations, and repair or replace
Assistance Grants. The funding associated with these types
damaged public infrastructure;
of assistance typically results in lower obligation levels than
assistance provided as a result of major disaster
Individual Assistance, which provides direct aid to
declarations, although there is significant variation across
impacted households;
incidents.
Hazard Mitigation Assistance, which funds mitigation
Emergency Declarations are often made at the time a
and resiliency projects and programs, typically across
threat is recognized in order to assist tribal, state, and
the entire state;
local efforts prior to an incident.
FEMA administrative costs associated with each disaster  Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) provide
declaration; and
aid for the control, management, and mitigation of fires.
Mission Assignment, which tasks and reimburses other
FEMA Assistance Not Funded Through
federal entities that provide direct disaster assistance.
the DRF: National Flood Insurance
Program
The decision concerning which types of assistance to
Floods represent a majority of all major disaster
provide is made either when the major disaster is declared
declarations nationwide. One of the primary sources of
or when the declaration is amended. For many major
assistance for flooding events is the National Flood
disasters, all of the assistance types outlined above are
Insurance Program (NFIP), which is not funded through the
authorized. For others, some assistance types are not
DRF. For more information on the NFIP, please refer to
authorized. Figure 2 compares the actual and projected
CRS Report R44593, Introduction to FEMA’s National
obligations for different types of assistance provided to
Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
New Hampshire as a result of a major disaster declaration
from FY2000 to FY2015.
Additional Resources
Many existing CRS products address issues related to the
Figure 2. DRF Assistance for New Hampshire, by
DRF, the disaster declaration process, and types of DRF
Type (FY2000-FY2015)
assistance. Below is a list of several of these resources:
 CRS Report R41981, Congressional Primer on
Responding to Major Disasters and Emergencies
 CRS Report R43519, Natural Disasters and Hazards:
CRS Experts
 CRS Report R43784, FEMA’s Disaster Declaration
Process: A Primer
 CRS Report R43537, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund:
Overview and Selected Issues
 CRS Report R44619, FEMA Disaster Housing: The
Individuals and Households Program—Implementation
and Potential Issues for Congress

 CRS Report R43990, FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant
Program: Background and Considerations for Congress
CRS Experts
FEMA Disaster Assistance:


Source: CRS analysis of FEMA DRF obligation data as of December
Bruce R. Lindsay
2015.
Jared T. Brown
Shawn Reese
Note: The specific assistance within each of the identified types may
have changed in the period FY2000 to FY2015.
National Flood Insurance Program:
Other FEMA Assistance Funded
Diane P. Horn
Through the DRF
In addition to the major disaster assistance described above,
Bruce R. Lindsay, Analyst in American National
there are other forms of assistance that are funded through
Government
the DRF. These include assistance associated with
IF10087
Emergency Declarations and with Fire Management

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Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: New Hampshire



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