Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: New Jersey

Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: New Jersey

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Updated March 6, 2017
Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: New Jersey
Overview
The next two most costly declarations were for Hurricane
The Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) is managed by the Federal
Irene in FY2011 and severe storms and flooding in
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is the
FY2010.
primary source of federal assistance following a major
disaster declaration. The authority to declare a major
Local Impacts
disaster is provided to the President under the Robert T.
From FY2000 to FY2015, 21 county governments in New
Stafford Emergency Relief and Disaster Assistance Act
Jersey received aid under major disaster declarations.
(P.L. 93-288).
Atlantic County received aid for the highest number of
declarations during this period, with 10.
The information below includes only DRF funding
provided to New Jersey as a result of assistance associated
Figure 1. DRF Actual and Projected Obligations for
with a major disaster declaration. This information does not
Declared Major Disasters in New Jersey, by Fiscal
include other assistance provided through the DRF or
Year
disaster assistance provided by other federal sources, such
Figures are in millions of dol ars, truncated. The number of
as Small Business Administration disaster loans.
declarations per year is in parentheses.
FEMA administers disaster relief through regional offices
around the country. New Jersey is part of Region II,
headquartered in New York, NY.
Major Disaster Declarations: FY2000-
FY2015
A total of 18 major disaster declarations were made in the
state of New Jersey between FY2000 and FY2015. During
that time, there were also five requests for major disaster
declarations that were denied. The approved declarations
led to $4.02 billion 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
year, with more than $3.23 billion in actual and projected
obligations for disasters in FY2013 alone. Figure 1
displays the actual and projected obligations to New Jersey
each fiscal year. The highest number of declarations in a

single year was four, which occurred in FY2010.
Source: CRS analysis of FEMA DRF obligations data as of December
2015.
Most Costly Declarations
Notes: Actual and projected obligations are recorded in the fiscal
The declaration associated with the largest actual and
year in which the major disaster was declared. Only obligations from
projected obligations from the DRF to the state of New
the FEMA DRF are included. Please consult the “Additional
Jersey was for Hurricane Sandy in FY2013. This
Resources” section for information on other federal assistance
declaration resulted in more than $3.23 billion in actual and
programs.
projected obligations to New Jersey from the DRF.
Types of Assistance Provided for Major
Hurricane Sandy was different from prior major disaster
Disasters
declarations because the federal government adjusted the
A major disaster declaration can authorize funding for
cost-share to provide more resources from the DRF.
different purposes, depending on the needs of the state.
These purposes include:
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Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: New Jersey
 Public Assistance, which is used by tribal, state, or local
Emergency Declarations and with Fire Management
governments, or certain private nonprofit organizations
Assistance Grants. The funding associated with these types
to provide emergency protective services, conduct
of assistance typically results in lower obligation levels than
debris removal operations, and repair or replace
assistance provided as a result of major disaster
damaged public infrastructure;
declarations, although there is significant variation across
incidents.
 Individual Assistance, which provides direct aid to
impacted households;
 Emergency Declarations are often made at the time a
threat is recognized in order to assist tribal, state, and
 Hazard Mitigation Assistance, which funds mitigation
local efforts prior to an incident.
and resiliency projects and programs, typically across
the entire state;
 Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) provide
aid for the control, management, and mitigation of fires.
 FEMA administrative costs associated with each disaster
declaration; and
FEMA Assistance Not Funded Through
the DRF: National Flood Insurance
 Mission Assignment, which tasks and reimburses other
Program
federal entities that provide direct disaster assistance.
Floods represent a majority of all major disaster
declarations nationwide. One of the primary sources of
The decision concerning which types of assistance to
assistance for flooding events is the National Flood
provide is made either when the major disaster is declared
Insurance Program (NFIP), which is not funded through the
or when the declaration is amended. For many major
DRF. For more information on the NFIP, please refer to
disasters, all of the assistance types outlined above are
CRS Report R44593, Introduction to FEMA’s National
authorized. For others, some assistance types are not
Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
authorized. Figure 2 compares the actual and projected
obligations for different types of assistance provided to
Additional Resources
New Jersey as a result of a major disaster declaration from
Many existing CRS products address issues related to the
FY2000 to FY2015.
DRF, the disaster declaration process, and types of DRF
assistance. Below is a list of several of these resources:
Figure 2. DRF Assistance for New Jersey, by Type
(FY2000-FY2015)
 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:
Bruce R. Lindsay
Jared T. Brown

Shawn Reese
Source: CRS analysis of FEMA DRF obligation data as of December
2015.
National Flood Insurance Program:
Note: The specific assistance within each of the identified types may
Diane P. Horn
have changed in the period FY2000 to FY2015.
Other FEMA Assistance Funded
Bruce R. Lindsay, Analyst in American National
Through the DRF
Government
In addition to the major disaster assistance described above,
IF10088
there are other forms of assistance that are funded through
the DRF. These include assistance associated with
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Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: New Jersey

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
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