Respond to at least one colleague and provide a different perspective on how your colleague’s disaster might have influenced specific policy. Describe any insight you have gained from reading your colleague’s post.  Use in text citations, references and APA formatting. A brief description of each of the two disasters you selected. Then explain the specific policy that resulted from these disasters and their impact on the field of emergency management. Finally, describe the challenges that these disasters might present to emergency managers in establishing intergovernmental relationships for response and recovery. A natural hazard is a threat of a naturally occurring event that affects humans in a negative manner. It is called a natural disaster when the hazardous threat actually happens and harms humans. There are several natural disasters that can leave behind a disastrous effort, but for the purpose of this discussion I chose tornadoes.  According Sylves, a tornado is a rapidly rotating vortex or funnel of air extending groundward from a cumulonimbus cloud, exhibiting wind speeds of up to 300 mph (pp. 42). The wind force caused by a tornado has the ability to lift and shift massive amount of debris including destroying large objects such as buildings. There is no clear indication according to meteorologists on exactly how tornadoes are formed, but one known fact is the formation comes from thunderstorms. In order for a tornado to exist there are certain conditions that triggers them. Abundant low-level moisture is necessary to contribute to the development of a thunderstorm, and perhaps a cold front or other low-level zone of converging winds is needed to lift the moist air aloft. Most tornadoes are generated in the Central part of North America, known in the area of the Great Plains, but has been known to touch down in many states.  Another natural disaster that can be detrimental in nature is a hurricane, especially a category 4 hurricane. Category 4 hurricanes have speeds between 130-156 mph, and with this time of strength can cause catastrophic damage. Amongst the damage that a category 4 hurricane cause, there is also a high risk of injury or death people, livestock, and pets (Cleary, 2016). Specific Policies      In 1999, after a tornado torn through Oklahoma and Kansas causing damages to several schools the federal government decided to create a grant that would provide funding for damage prevention projects after a tornado called the FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides grants to states for their use in conducting mitigation activities following a Presidential declaration of a major disaster. HMGP grants are awarded through a cost-sharing arrangement in which the Federal government provides a grant of up to 75 percent of eligible project costs. therefore, a non-Federal contribution of at least 25 percent is required (FEMA, 2002). The aftermath of Hurricane Katrin ...

1. Respond
to at least
one
colleague and provide a different perspective on how your
colleague’s disaster might have influenced specific policy.
Describe any insight you have gained from reading your
colleague’s post. Use in text citations, references and APA
formatting.
A brief description of each of the two disasters you selected.
Then explain the specific policy that resulted from these
disasters and their impact on the field of emergency
management. Finally, describe the challenges that these
disasters might present to emergency managers in establishing
intergovernmental relationships for response and recovery.
A natural hazard is a threat of a naturally occurring event that
affects humans in a negative manner. It is called a natural
disaster when the hazardous threat actually happens and harms
humans. There are several natural disasters that can leave
behind a disastrous effort, but for the purpose of this discussion
I chose tornadoes. According Sylves, a tornado is a rapidly
rotating vortex or funnel of air extending groundward from a
cumulonimbus cloud, exhibiting wind speeds of up to 300 mph
(pp. 42). The wind force caused by a tornado has the ability to
lift and shift massive amount of debris including destroying
large objects such as buildings. There is no clear indication
according to meteorologists on exactly how tornadoes are
formed, but one known fact is the formation comes from
thunderstorms. In order for a tornado to exist there are certain
conditions that triggers them. Abundant low-level moisture is
necessary to contribute to the development of a thunderstorm,
and perhaps a cold front or other low-level zone of converging
winds is needed to lift the moist air aloft. Most tornadoes are
generated in the Central part of North America, known in the

2. area of the Great Plains, but has been known to touch down in
many states. Another natural disaster that can be detrimental in
nature is a hurricane, especially a category 4 hurricane.
Category 4 hurricanes have speeds between 130-156 mph, and
with this time of strength can cause catastrophic damage.
Amongst the damage that a category 4 hurricane cause, there is
also a high risk of injury or death people, livestock, and pets
(Cleary, 2016).
Specific Policies
In 1999, after a tornado torn through Oklahoma and Kansas
causing damages to several schools the federal government
decided to create a grant that would provide funding for damage
prevention projects after a tornado called the FEMA’s Hazard
Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program (HMGP) provides grants to states for their use in
conducting mitigation activities following a Presidential
declaration of a major disaster. HMGP grants are awarded
through a cost-sharing arrangement in which the Federal
government provides a grant of up to 75 percent of eligible
project costs. therefore, a non-Federal contribution of at least
25 percent is required (FEMA, 2002). The aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina left many unanswered questions amongst the
local, state, and federal agencies. All entities blaming each
other for the slow response to the devastating areas. As a result
of the many issues after this disaster the federal government
implement several national-level policy reforms to correct some
of them, and prepare for future incidents. One of the newly
developed policies was the Post-Katrina Reform Act of 2006
also known as Title VI of the Department of Homeland Security
Appropriations Act, 2007. The reform contained several
modifications that will have long-standing effect marked with
consequences for FEMA and other federal entities. This ruling
contributed to reorganizing FEMA, by expanding its legislative
authority, and imposing new state of affairs and requests on the
actions of the agency (Love, 2006). Under the guidelines of the
Post Katrina Reform Act 2006, it restored FEMA accountability

3. to lead and support efforts to decrease the loss of life and
property and safeguard the country from all threats through a
risk-based structure that place emphases on extended CEM
components. This act also made changes to how administers
dealt with disaster response and recovery.
Challenges
The magnitude of damage that tornadoes and hurricanes can
bring to a state, region, community can be overbearing. The
challenge that these disasters have on an emergency manager
and their ability to establish an intergovernmental relationship
is the lack of communication, and cooperation, and control
primarily in the initial stages of the response. Another challenge
that might be present to emergency managers in establishing
intergovernmental relationship is how to properly plan how
those relationship will work in the response and recovery
process for the natural disaster.
Resources:
Canton, L. G. (2007). Emergency management: Concepts and
strategies for effective programs. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
Sons.
Clearly, T. (2016). What Is a Category 4 Hurricane? 5 Fast
Facts You Need to Know. Retrieved from
http://heavy.com/news/2016/10/what-is-category-4-hurricane-
matthew-damage-strength-history-definition-wind-speed-storm-
surge-facts-names/
FEMA. (2002). Mitigation Case Studies Protecting School
Children from Tornadoes. Retrieved from
Love, N. (2006). Federal Emergency Management Policy
Changes after Hurricane Katrina: A Summary of Statutory
Provisions. Retrieved from
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL33729.pdf
Sylves, R. (2015). Disaster policy and politics: Emergency
management and homeland security (2nd ed.). Washington, DC:
CQ Press.