Quick Breakdown: Understanding the Disaster Declaration Process

One question I receive after every major storm is, "What happens now?" Before many forms of federal disaster assistance can become available, the damage must first be assessed. That process begins with a Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA), where local officials, the CNMI government, and FEMA work together to document the extent of the damage to homes, businesses, public infrastructure, and community facilities. That was one of the reasons for our flight to Rota last Thursday. These assessments help determine the extent of the disaster, identify the types of federal assistance that may be needed, and provide the information required for the Commonwealth's requests for federal support.  If the damage exceeds the Commonwealth's ability to respond on its own, the Governor may request a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration. The President then determines whether to approve that request and which federal assistance programs will be made available. Not every disaster receives every type of assistance. Programs such as Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, and D-NAP are considered based on the documented impacts and the needs identified through the assessment process. The federal disaster process is designed to be locally driven. The Commonwealth identifies its needs and submits its requests to FEMA and the White House, and my job is to make sure those requests are heard. As of today, a Major Disaster has not been declared, but as each stage of recovery moves forward, I will continue advocating for the fullest level of federal support possible so our people have every opportunity to recover and rebuild.