Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: Puerto Rico

Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: Puerto Rico

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October 16, 2017
Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: Puerto Rico
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
FY2009.
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 FY2016, all 78 local and territorial
Stafford Emergency Relief and Disaster Assistance Act
governments in Puerto Rico received aid under major
(P.L. 93-288, as amended; Stafford Act).
disaster declarations. The municipality of Utuado received
aid for the highest number of declarations during this
The information below includes only DRF funding
period, with nine.
provided to Puerto Rico as a result of assistance associated
with a major disaster declaration declared between FY2000
Figure 1.DRF Actual and Projected Obligations for
and FY2016. This information does not include other
Declared Major Disasters in Puerto Rico, by Fiscal
assistance provided through the DRF or disaster assistance
Year
provided by other federal sources, such as Small Business
Figures are in millions of dol ars, truncated. The number of
Administration disaster loans. In FY2017, two major
declarations per year is in parentheses.
disasters were declared for Puerto Rico. Those major
disaster declarations are not included in the analysis below.
FEMA administers disaster relief through regional offices
around the country. Puerto Rico is part of Region II,
headquartered in New York, NY. Puerto Rico is considered
a state under Section 102 of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C.
5122) for the purposes of that act.
Major Disaster Declarations:
FY2000-FY2016
A total of 11 major disaster declarations were made for
Puerto Rico between FY2000 and FY2016. During that
time, there were no requests for major disaster declarations
that were denied. The approved declarations led to $833
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
territory, either as a cost-share for federal assistance or
through the territory’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 $511 million in actual and projected

obligations for disasters in FY2004 alone. Figure 1
Source: CRS analysis of FEMA DRF obligation data as of August
displays the actual and projected obligations to Puerto Rico
2017.
each fiscal year. The highest number of declarations in a
Notes: Actual and projected obligations are recorded in the fiscal
single year was three, which occurred in FY2011.
year in which the major disaster was declared. Only obligations from
the FEMA DRF are included.
Most Costly Declarations
The declaration associated with the largest actual and
Types of Assistance Provided for Major
projected obligations from the DRF to Puerto Rico was for
Disasters
Tropical Storm Jeanne in FY2004. This declaration resulted
A major disaster declaration can authorize funding for
in more than $431 million in actual and projected
different purposes, depending on the needs of the territory.
obligations to Puerto Rico from the DRF.
These purposes include:
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Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: Puerto Rico
 Public Assistance, which is used by territorial or local
the DRF. The funding associated with these types of
governments, or certain private nonprofit organizations
assistance typically results in lower obligation levels than
to provide emergency protective services, conduct
assistance provided as a result of major disaster
debris removal operations, and repair or replace
declarations, although there is significant variation across
damaged public infrastructure;
incidents.
 Individual Assistance, which provides direct aid to
 Emergency Declarations are often made at the time a
impacted households;
threat is recognized in order to assist territorial and local
 Hazard Mitigation Assistance, which funds mitigation
government efforts prior to an incident.
and resiliency projects and programs, typically across
 Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) provide
the entire territory;
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 Assignments, 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 the National Flood
authorized. For others, some assistance types are not
Insurance Program (NFIP).
authorized. Figure 2 compares the actual and projected
obligations for different types of assistance provided to
Additional Resources
Puerto Rico as a result of a major disaster declaration from
Many existing CRS products address issues related to the
FY2000 to FY2016.
DRF, the disaster declaration process, and types of DRF
assistance. Below is a list of several of these resources:
Figure 2.DRF Assistance for Puerto Rico, by Type
(FY2000-FY2016)
 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 R43990, FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant
Program: Background and Considerations for Congress
 CRS Report R44619, FEMA Disaster Housing: The
Individuals and Households Program—Implementation
and Potential Issues for Congress
CRS Experts
FEMA Disaster Assistance:
Bruce R. Lindsay, Analyst in American National
Government
Shawn Reese, Analyst in Emergency Management and

Source: CRS analysis of FEMA DRF obligation data as of August
Homeland Security Policy
2017.
National Flood Insurance Program:
Note: The specific assistance within each of the identified types may
Diane P. Horn, Analyst in Flood Insurance and Emergency
have changed in the period FY2000 to FY2016. “Operations” is a
Management
category provided by FEMA that includes three types of Mission
Assignments and Urban Search and Rescue.
Bruce R. Lindsay, Analyst in American National
Other FEMA Assistance Funded
Government
Through the DRF
IF10755
In addition to the major disaster assistance described above,
there are other forms of assistance that are funded through
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Major Disaster Assistance from the DRF: Puerto Rico

Disclaimer
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