2017 Hurricanes and Wildfires: GAO, FEMA & Homeland Security Report 1. 2017 HURRICANES AND WILDFIRES: GAO's Initial Observations on the Federal Response and Key Recovery Challenges (9/2018) Federal and state preparedness and coordination efforts prior to and after the 2017 hurricane and wildfire disasters facilitated the response in Texas, Florida, and California. FEMA and state emergency management officials implemented various preparedness actions prior to landfall of the hurricanes and during the wildfires. The federal government provided significant support to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, but faced numerous challenges that complicated response efforts. FEMA efforts in Puerto Rico alone were the largest and longest single response in the agency's history. GAO found that FEMA faced a number of challenges that slowed and complicated its response efforts to Hurricane Maria, particularly in Puerto Rico. Many of these challenges were also highlighted in FEMA's own 2017 hurricane after action report. The 2017 hurricanes and wildfires highlighted some longstanding issues and revealed other emerging response and recovery challenges. 2. FEMA 2017 Hurricane Season After-Action Report (7/2018) The 2017 Hurricane Season was a devastating experience for millions of Americans, with more disaster survivors registering for assistance than the previous 10 years combined. While the Nation responded to three major hurricanes in quick succession-Harvey, Irma, and Maria-California simultaneously suffered historic wildfires. 3. Homeland Security 2017 National Preparedness Report The National Preparedness Report summarizes the progress that the Nation has made in becoming more secure and resilient across five mission areas: Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. The report identifies crosscutting findings that apply across the mission areas, as well as key findings for each individual mission area. The report offers all levels of government, the private and nonprofit sectors, and the public practical insights into preparedness to support decisions about program priorities, resource allocation, and community actions.
