The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released two reports describing multiple deficiencies in federal disaster response. The first report found that FEMA and the American Red Cross failed to adequately recognize the capacity of voluntary organizations brought on to handle mass-care operations. These failures led to survivors lacking shelter, food, and supplies in the days following the disasters. The report focused specifically on the response to Hurricane Harvey, where shelters were massively understaffed as FEMA had not assessed the staffing capability of volunteer organizations to handle the influx of residents. The GAO provided several recommendations, including greater coordination between local and national volunteer groups and FEMA.
The second report criticized the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) for failing to address the medical needs of survivors of Hurricanes Maria and Irma. The agency failed to have an adequate patient tracking system in place to determine who was evacuated to hospitals on the mainland. The report also cited understaffing in the agency as well as long delays in reaching isolated interior villages to provide medical care. The report recommended several solutions, including the quick onboarding of new HHS staff and more substantive planning.
Read the report on FEMA and the American Red Cross staff capacity issues at: https://bit.ly/2nsPzua
Read the report on HHS at: https://bit.ly/2lndFG4