"Comment: More emergency management community food for thought within the FEMA declaration data, for major (Presidential) disasters only: 2013 was an average major disaster declaration (62) year. The mathematical average of major disaster declarations for calendar years 2002-13 is 63.25. 2013 had the slowest major disaster declaration process since 2009. On average it took 45.94 days from the beginning of the FEMA determined incident period until the Presidential declaration was announced. The slowest declaration, DR 4158, was for California’s Rim Fire (115 days). The fastest declaration was for Oklahoma’s storms & tornadoes DR 4117 (2 days). 2013 Presidential major disaster declarations include Individual Assistance in just over 8% of such declarations. Texas Explosion IA was provided under Emergency declaration 3363. Between 2009 and 2013 the lowest previous major disaster declaration IA inclusion rate was in 2010 (22.22%). IA included over 22% of the time. IA inclusion rates 2012 (38%), 2011 (30.3%) and 2009 (35.59%) In 2013, 75 major disaster declarations were requested; 62 approved 13 denied (17.33%). No Democratic Governor was denied; Two Tribal requests denied, 11 Republican Governor requests were denied. Arizona had 3 different requests denied. Texas had 3 requests denied all associated with the West Texas Explosion; eventually declared as DR 4136; 107 days after the explosion."
The low percentage of IA declarations for 2013 was very interesting, since it is public pressure to get financial help that typically encourages a Governor to apply for the Presidential Declaration.
