Disaster assistance: FEMA action needed to better support individuals who are older or have disabilities
Three sequential hurricanes—Harvey, Irma, and Maria—affected more than 28 million people in 2017, according to FEMA. Hurricane survivors aged 65 and older and those with disabilities faced particular challenges evacuating to safe shelter, accessing medicine, and obtaining recovery assistance. In June 2018, FEMA began implementing a new approach to assist individuals with disabilities.
GAO was asked to review disaster assistance for individuals who are older or have disabilities. This report addresses:
- challenges FEMA partners reported in providing assistance to such individuals,
- challenges such individuals faced accessing assistance from FEMA and actions FEMA took to address these challenges, and
- the extent to which FEMA has implemented its new approach to disability integration.
GAO analyzed FEMA data and reviewed relevant federal laws, agency policy, and federal frameworks. GAO also interviewed state, territorial, local, and nonprofit officials in Florida, Puerto Rico, Texas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; FEMA officials at headquarters, in regional offices, and deployed to disaster sites; and officials at relevant nonprofit organizations.
Download
- FEMA Action Needed to Better Support Individuals Who Are Older or Have Disabilities 4 MB, PDF, English
- FEMA Action Needed to Better Support Individuals Who Are Older or Have Disabilities Highlights 0.1 MB, PDF, English
- FEMA Action Needed to Better Support Individuals Who Are Older or Have Disabilities Accessible Version 5 MB, PDF, English
Editors' recommendations
- USA: In natural disasters, a disability can be a death sentence
- Five actions for disability-inclusive disaster risk management
- More about disability and disaster risk
- Capacity-building toolkit for including aging & disability networks in emergency planning
- The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and persons with disabilities
- More about the inclusion of older people in DRR
- More about the 2017 Atlantic hurricanes
Explore further
Is this page useful?
Yes No Report an issue on this pageThank you. If you have 2 minutes, we would benefit from additional feedback (link opens in a new window).