Equity amidst disaster: Techniques for inclusive federal disaster management

The past 50 years have demonstrated that the number and impact of disasters in the United States and across the globe are increasing in frequency and intensity, with 2022 marking the eighth consecutive year in which the United States has experienced 10 or more distinct billion-dollar disasters.[i] These events compound to place an ever-increasing strain on our communities and available preparedness, response, recovery, and resiliency resources.

Low socioeconomic status (SES) and racially and ethnically diverse communities are often disproportionately impacted by the physical, economic, and social harm caused by disasters, yet they are also more likely to face systemic barriers and challenges when accessing the resources necessary to protect themselves from disasters.[ii] This can leave communities less prepared for, less resilient to, and requiring additional support to recover from disasters, resulting in a costlier overall disaster response and further strain on the nation’s limited funding.[iii]

To reduce disaster spending long term and help increase community resilience, the federal government can continue to implement solutions that prioritize equitable preparedness and response efforts tailored to the needs of disproportionately impacted communities. These disaster management initiatives can be applied across five key service areas:

1.?????? Strategy and execution,

2.?????? Workforce and benefits,

3.?????? Near real-time data and analytics,

4.?????? Participatory research and design, and

5.?????? Community needs assessments.

With annual increases in the occurrences and associated costs of disasters, equity in disaster preparedness and response is an economic imperative.[iv] Moreover, equitable disaster management is a mission imperative for federal agencies as they work to improve the livelihoods and health outcomes of the nation’s most vulnerable populations in disasters.

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Brian Kamoie is a managing director at Deloitte & Touche LLP, with over two decades of risk and crisis management experience, having worked at the highest levels of government creating frameworks to manage our country's most challenging risks and events. He is a recognized thought leader on emergency preparedness and resilience for federal, state, and local government.

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[i] NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), “U.S. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters,” 2023. (Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (noaa.gov)

[ii] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), "Greater Impact: How Disasters Affect People of Low Socioeconomic Status (samhsa.gov)," Supplemental Research Bulletin, July 2017.

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] NCEI,“U.S. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters,” 2023 https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/; CRS, “A Brief Overview of FEMA’s Public Assistance Program (congress.gov)"; The PEW Charitable Trusts, “How States Can Manage the Challenges of Paying for Natural Disasters | The Pew Charitable Trusts (pewtrusts.org)."