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Researching Presidential Declarations Researching Presidential Declarations of Major Disaster and Emergencyof Major Disaster and Emergency

By Prof. Rick Sylves (By Prof. Rick Sylves (sylves@udel.edusylves@udel.edu))

www.peripresdecusa.orgwww.peripresdecusa.orgDept. of Political Science & IRDept. of Political Science & IRUniversity of DelawareUniversity of Delaware

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Are you someone who would Are you someone who would look a gift horse in the mouth?look a gift horse in the mouth?

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The Presidential Disaster Declaration The Presidential Disaster Declaration web site is a gift to you from the Public web site is a gift to you from the Public

Entity Risk Institute (PERI)Entity Risk Institute (PERI) Is it free? Yes. PERI paid for it.Is it free? Yes. PERI paid for it. Will I be spammed if I use it? No.Will I be spammed if I use it? No. Does it display advertising or feature Does it display advertising or feature

pop ups? No to both.pop ups? No to both. Is this a corporate venture luring you Is this a corporate venture luring you

to buy products and services? No. PERI to buy products and services? No. PERI is a non-profit public interest is a non-profit public interest organization.organization.

Is it difficult to use? Absolutely not.Is it difficult to use? Absolutely not.

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PERI Presidential Disaster PERI Presidential Disaster Declaration SiteDeclaration Sitewww.peripresdecusa.orgwww.peripresdecusa.org//

Where does the site reside and is it Where does the site reside and is it virus protected? The site was created virus protected? The site was created by Prof. Rick Sylves and Dr. David Racca by Prof. Rick Sylves and Dr. David Racca of University of Delaware (UD) with PERI of University of Delaware (UD) with PERI funding. The site is owned by PERI but funding. The site is owned by PERI but is located at UD’s Center for is located at UD’s Center for Demographic and Survey Research, and Demographic and Survey Research, and it features Norton anti-virus protection. it features Norton anti-virus protection.

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Why build a web site on presidential Why build a web site on presidential disaster declarations when DHS-FEMA disaster declarations when DHS-FEMA

already has one?already has one?

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Answer: Because FEMA’s site lacks Answer: Because FEMA’s site lacks important sets of data, especially important sets of data, especially

about pre-1997 declarationsabout pre-1997 declarations http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.femahttp://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema FEMA’s site allows users to search major FEMA’s site allows users to search major

disasters and emergencies by declaration disasters and emergencies by declaration number.number.

FEMA’s site displays declaration numbers FEMA’s site displays declaration numbers from major dec DR#1 through DR#1705 (as from major dec DR#1 through DR#1705 (as of 4 June 2007) by year, but older pre-2001 of 4 June 2007) by year, but older pre-2001 declaration info is not well maintained.declaration info is not well maintained.

For older declarations and inactive ones For older declarations and inactive ones FEMA often puts users in a dead end loop FEMA often puts users in a dead end loop devoid of information.devoid of information.

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Things FEMA’s site does Things FEMA’s site does extremely wellextremely well

Good links to application information Good links to application information and FEMA press releases about the and FEMA press releases about the declaration.declaration.

Allows Hispanic users to access the Allows Hispanic users to access the site and read information displayed site and read information displayed in Spanish.in Spanish.

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Things FEMA’s site does Things FEMA’s site does extremely wellextremely well

Great up to date information on active Great up to date information on active disaster declarations, but it does not open disaster declarations, but it does not open to the public cost information on active to the public cost information on active disasters.disasters.

Wonderful GIS map projections of counties Wonderful GIS map projections of counties included in specific declarations and color included in specific declarations and color coded by FEMA program(s) open to coded by FEMA program(s) open to applicants in these counties.applicants in these counties.

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Benefits of PERI’s siteBenefits of PERI’s site

http://www.peripresdecusa.orghttp://www.peripresdecusa.org allows users to search declared major allows users to search declared major

disasters and emergencies by state and/or disasters and emergencies by state and/or county rather than by declaration number.county rather than by declaration number.

PERI’s site includes major declarations from PERI’s site includes major declarations from DR#1 (May 1953) to DR#1665 (Oct 2006).DR#1 (May 1953) to DR#1665 (Oct 2006).

PERI’s site includes total FEMA (or pre-FEMA PERI’s site includes total FEMA (or pre-FEMA agency) cost information on each agency) cost information on each declaration. Costs are as of July 31, 2006 declaration. Costs are as of July 31, 2006 and Katrina declaration costs are included.and Katrina declaration costs are included.

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FEMA’s site vs. PERI’s siteFEMA’s site vs. PERI’s site

FEMA’s site uses declaration numbers as the main FEMA’s site uses declaration numbers as the main path of search for major disasters and path of search for major disasters and emergencies.emergencies.

PERI’s site allows users to search declarations of PERI’s site allows users to search declarations of major disaster and emergency by clicking on major disaster and emergency by clicking on states and or specific counties displayed on a GIS states and or specific counties displayed on a GIS map, or users can click on pull down menu’s of map, or users can click on pull down menu’s of the states, and from any specific state they can the states, and from any specific state they can pull down menu’s of each state’s counties (or pull down menu’s of each state’s counties (or county equivalents). U.S. Trust and county equivalents). U.S. Trust and Commonwealth Territories are included.Commonwealth Territories are included.

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Map projection withZoom in and Zoom out,User may click on specificCounty to produce countyDisaster dec table.

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FEMA’s site vs. PERI’s siteFEMA’s site vs. PERI’s site

PERI’s site allows search and table making of PERI’s site allows search and table making of Major Disasters and Emergencies declared by Major Disasters and Emergencies declared by Presidents from Eisenhower (5/1953) through Presidents from Eisenhower (5/1953) through G.W. Bush (12/ 2006), FEMA stops at 1997.G.W. Bush (12/ 2006), FEMA stops at 1997.

PERI’s site furnishes presidential turndowns of PERI’s site furnishes presidential turndowns of governor requested declarations of major governor requested declarations of major disaster and emergency with requesting disaster and emergency with requesting Governor name and rejecting President name, Governor name and rejecting President name, with dates and nature of event. FEMA’s site with dates and nature of event. FEMA’s site does not supply users with turndown does not supply users with turndown information.information.

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PERI’s web sitePERI’s web site

Provides links to useful sites for Provides links to useful sites for

disaster information and emergency disaster information and emergency management.management.

Supplies users with a key code that Supplies users with a key code that explains all variables used in the site. explains all variables used in the site.

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PERI’s web sitePERI’s web site Provides users with info about the Provides users with info about the

presidential disaster declaration process. presidential disaster declaration process. Begin and end dates of declarations.Begin and end dates of declarations. Nature of primary incident through 3 Nature of primary incident through 3

variables, single letter code, primary variables, single letter code, primary incident (e.g. flood, tornado, incident (e.g. flood, tornado, earthquake), and 60 letter descriptor earthquake), and 60 letter descriptor variable (named hurricanes with variable (named hurricanes with secondary impacts described.)secondary impacts described.)

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More on peripresdecusa.orgMore on peripresdecusa.org

Site includes total statewide FEMA Site includes total statewide FEMA spending, all categories, adjusted to spending, all categories, adjusted to 2006 constant dollars for each 2006 constant dollars for each declaration.declaration.

Costs are as of July 31, 2006, and so Costs are as of July 31, 2006, and so active declarations may have newer active declarations may have newer totals than those depicted in the site. totals than those depicted in the site.

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PERI’s web sitePERI’s web site

The data compiled and used in this site The data compiled and used in this site came from U.S. Federal Emergency came from U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) records Management Agency (FEMA) records provided to Sylves in 1994, 1997, 2001, provided to Sylves in 1994, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2006. 2003, 2005, and 2006.

Much of the information made available here Much of the information made available here is not available on current Department of is not available on current Department of Homeland Security FEMA web sites. Homeland Security FEMA web sites.

Presidential turn downs of governor requests Presidential turn downs of governor requests are only available on the PERI site.are only available on the PERI site.

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Presidential Turndowns of Governor Requests for Presidential Turndowns of Governor Requests for Declarations of Major Disaster or Emergency as Percent Declarations of Major Disaster or Emergency as Percent

of Total Requests over Presidential Administrationof Total Requests over Presidential Administration

Chart 1: Percentage Presidential Turndowns of Governor Requests for Major Disasters and Emergencies by President, May 1953 to Dec. 2001

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Major Disaster Turndown % 34 30 35 34 32 45 34 21 21 20

Emergency Turndown % 0 0 0 94 23 39 64 60 16 25

Combined Turndown % (Majors & Emergencies)

34 30 35 37 30 43 37 22 21 21

Eisenhower

Kennedy Johnson Nixon Ford Carter ReaganGWH Bush

Clinton GW Bush

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George W. Bush AdministrationJanuary 2001 - December 31, 2003

Disaster Declarations by Year and Type

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Nu

mb

er

of

De

cla

rati

on

s

Other 2

Terrorism Attack 2

Fire 2 2

Earthquake 2 2

Snow 1 6 8

Severe Storms 14 19 20

Typhoon 6 2

Hurricane 1 7

Tornado 3 1 12

Flood & Tornado* 4 9 2

Flood 15 3 1

2001 2002 2003

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Why did we do this?Why did we do this?

We realized that it is usually difficult for We realized that it is usually difficult for emergency managers and the public to emergency managers and the public to track down information about presidential track down information about presidential disaster declarations covering their state disaster declarations covering their state and countyand county

We realized most people, perhaps even We realized most people, perhaps even many emergency managers, would be many emergency managers, would be surprised to know how often their state surprised to know how often their state and respective counties have experienced and respective counties have experienced disasters and emergencies serious enough disasters and emergencies serious enough to warrant a presidential declaration. to warrant a presidential declaration.

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Why did we do this?Why did we do this?

A great many Dept of Homeland Security A great many Dept of Homeland Security grant programs require state and local grant programs require state and local officials to supply information about their officials to supply information about their disaster history, and the PERI site offers disaster history, and the PERI site offers FEMA’s own historical data on declarations FEMA’s own historical data on declarations back to May 1953.back to May 1953.

We were shocked that no state emergency We were shocked that no state emergency management agency offers a link to their management agency offers a link to their presidential disaster declaration history, presidential disaster declaration history, only info about recent declarations still only info about recent declarations still active. active.

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Why did we do this?Why did we do this?

We wanted to offer the nation’s 3500 We wanted to offer the nation’s 3500 counties a chance to display their counties a chance to display their individual disaster declarations histories individual disaster declarations histories from 1953-2006.from 1953-2006.

Our aim was to make all of this Our aim was to make all of this information easily available to the public information easily available to the public such that any 12 year-old in the U.S. could such that any 12 year-old in the U.S. could in three key strokes produce a declaration in three key strokes produce a declaration history of her state and county for a class history of her state and county for a class project. project.

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Why did we do this?Why did we do this?

We wanted to advance disaster mitigation We wanted to advance disaster mitigation education in the U.S. by supplying education in the U.S. by supplying Americans with a 57 year historical record Americans with a 57 year historical record of state and county disaster and of state and county disaster and emergency experience involving federal emergency experience involving federal assistance.assistance.

We wanted to provide disaster researchers We wanted to provide disaster researchers with a reliable data set compiled from with a reliable data set compiled from solid documented federal records, and solid documented federal records, and which included federal disaster relief which included federal disaster relief payouts.payouts.

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Why did I do this?Why did I do this?

Finally, for purely selfish reasons, I got Finally, for purely selfish reasons, I got tired of people asking me for this data tired of people asking me for this data when I was not able to provide it to when I was not able to provide it to requesters in a useable format.requesters in a useable format.

Now I can finally say thank you to the Now I can finally say thank you to the wonderful people of PERI and to my wonderful people of PERI and to my colleagues who helped me stand up the colleagues who helped me stand up the site at University of Delaware.site at University of Delaware.

I can finally tell people to leave me the hell I can finally tell people to leave me the hell alone!alone!