Hurricane Liaison Team (HLT)

1. Hurricane Liaison Team (HLT) Supports effective hurricane disaster response by facilitating exchange of information between emergency managers and the National Hurricane Center

2. Individual Assistance Programs • Individuals and Households Program (IHP) • SBA Loans and USDA Loans • Other Needs Assistance (ONA) • Crisis Counseling • Unemployment Assistance • Disaster Legal Services • IRS Assistance and others • Only way in – 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or on-line

3. Supplementary assistance to Public Assistance Program • State governments and agencies • Local governments • Political subdivisions • Native American tribes • Certain Private Non-Profits

4. Recovery Programs

5. Critical Infrastructure

6. Catastrophic Disaster Challenges • Preparedness • Response • Recovery • Mitigation

7. Preparedness Challenges • Improve family preparedness • Strengthen State and local emergency plans, training and exercises • Strengthen State and local response capabilities • Improve emergency communications • Improve international assistance process

8. Preparedness Challenges • Implement National Response Plan (NRP) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) • Greater DHS organizational focus on preparedness posture • Priority planning for catastrophic events

9. Key Preparedness Actions • Educate the people • Train the responders • Have a plan • Get acquainted

10. Response Challenges • Identify response capabilities at all levels • Improve capabilities for situational awareness before, during and after disasters • Improve security for relief operations • Strengthen region wide evacuation capabilities

11. Evacuation

12. Response Challenges • Improve our logistics tail distribution capabilities • Strengthen military support to civil authority planning for catastrophic events • Better tracking for displaced persons • Increase private sector role in response

13. Recovery Challenges • Increase local involvement in debris clean up contracting • Strengthen temporary housing planning options • Consider czar or super Primary Federal official for long tern recovery • Improve sheltering and temporary housing capabilities

14. Mitigation Challenges • Enforce building codes (get generators out of basements or floor levels) • Fix flood insurance program (water and wind damages) • Use all hazards approach • Strengthen levees for CAT 4 or 5 hurricane ?

15. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Observations on Catastrophic Disasters • Need clear and decisive leadership • Single senior leader • Timely decisions • Need strong advance planning, training and exercise programs • Catastrophic planning • Leverage defense capabilities • Regular exercises and leadership involvement

16. GAO Observations • Need special capabilities for response • Continuity of essential government operations • Comprehensive damage assessment • Logistics systems for critical commodities • Mass care—feeding and sheltering large populace • Evacuation of special needs populace • Volunteers and donations management • Infrastructure lifelines recovery