Press Releases

The Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, chaired by U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), will hold a hearing next Wednesday to better understand the status of the recovery from the 2017 disaster season, including hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, as well as efforts to prepare for the 2018 hurricane season which began on June 1^st.

2017 marked a year of unprecedented disasters that affected more than 25 million Americans (almost eight percent of the U.S. population.)  Ten major hurricanes were recorded in the Atlantic alone.  In addition to damaging storms, the U.S. experienced one of the most active and destructive wildfire seasons in its history.  By the end of 2017, 59 major disasters were declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.  These disasters demonstrate the importance of mitigating risks and preparing for the next disaster.

On July 12^th, FEMA released its 2017 Hurricane Season FEMA After-Action Report.

Earlier this year, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved, and the House later passed, the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA).  DRRA places greater emphasis on pre-disaster mitigation, and incentivizes states to invest in stronger mitigation measures and resilient rebuilding to ensure that our communities are well-equipped to better prepare for and withstand disasters of all kinds.  These efforts have been shown to reduce disaster costs and losses and increase resilience so that individuals and communities can get back to normal as quickly as possible after being impacted by a disaster.  DRRA currently awaits passage in the Senate.

The Subcommittee hearing, entitled “Are We Ready? Recovering from 2017 Disasters and Preparing for the 2018 Hurricane Season,” is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building. 

Witnesses will include: