U S Government Accountability Office

Federal disaster assistance U S Government Accountability Office

" The growing number of disaster declarations-a record 98 in fiscal year 2011 compared with 65 in 2004-has contributed to increased federal disaster costs. FEMA leads federal efforts to respond to and recover from disasters and makes recommendations to the President, who decides whether to declare a disaster and increase the usual federal cost share of 75 percent. This report addresses (1) the number of declarations requested and approved from fiscal years 2004-2011 and associated DRF obligations; (2) the criteria FEMA used to recommend a declaration for PA, and the extent that FEMA assessed whether an effective response to a disaster was beyond the capabilities of state and local governments; (3) how FEMA determined whether to recommend cost share adjustments, and their costs; and (4) FEMA's administrative cost percentages for declarations. GAO reviewed declaration data for fiscal years 2004-2011 and conducted site visits in 2011 to the two FEMA regions with the highest DRF obligations. The results are not generalizable, but provide insights. "