Response to covid19. Distribution of Disaster Relief funds, climate change and femas efforts to prepare for future nationwide emergencies. Mississippi congressman chaired the committee. The committee will come to order. The meeting to receive testimony on an examining Femas Reainess to meet this mission. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare the committee in recess at any point. The gentlewoman from florida shall assume the duties of the chair in the event that i run into technical difficulties. Good morning. The committee is meeting today to discuss readiness to meet its mission. Were pleased to be joined by administrator chris, confirmed just two months ago. Administrator chris brings to the job a wealth of experience from Emergency Management, leader of one of femas national management assistants teams and two decades of service as a firefighter in the colorado national guard. I would also note shes the first woman to be confirmed by the senate and aapplaud the biden
Femas readiness. Without objection, the chair authorizes. Good morning. The committee is meeting today to discuss Femas Readiness. We are pleased to be joined by administrator deanne criswell, who was confirmed just two months ago. Administrator criswell brings to the job a wealth of experience from her role as city new York City Emergency Management, leader of one of femas national Incident Management Assistance teams and over two decades of service as a firefighter in the colorado i would also note that she is the first woman to be confirmed by the senate to lead fema and i applaud the Biden Administration for selecting highly qualified individuals who reflect the diversity of our great nation. Administrative criswell steps into the role at a critical juncture as fema contends with ongoing responses to previous disasters, including western wildfires and 2017 hurricanes, while also continuing to manage the covid response, the current Disaster Season and other emergencies. For example,
We are here today to discuss climate change and our nations response. It is a major threat to our country. The u. S. Department of justice wants to secure the nation from the many threats we faced. Therefore, the department which and includes taking action to address the effects of the change. Already, the impacts of climate change on communities across the country devastate human and financial costs. If we fail to address the challenge imposed by climate change, those costs will only increase. Science concludes that climate change is real. It is increasing the Severity And Frequency of extreme Weather Events. According to noaa, during 1980, u. S. Sustained 300 weather and climate disasters like catastrophic hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires. Financial damage have to resort exceeded 1 billion. The total cost now exceeds one point 9 trillion dollars. In 20 20 for example, multiple extreme Weather Events like tropical Storm Aletta and hurricane sally, to name a few severely impacted th
Mitigation efforts to stave off the impacts of severe weather events for the ocher. This is two hours. The subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, response, and recovery will come to order. The Subcommittee Meeting Today to receive testimony on examining climate change, a threat to the homeland. Without objection the chair is authorized to declare the subcommittee in recess at any point. I would like to say good afternoon to all of you and thank you so much for joining us today to our witnesses as well as our amazing members. We are here today to discuss climate change and our nations response. Climate change is a major threat to our country. The u. S. Department of homeland Securitys Mission is to, and i quote, secure the nation from the many threats we face, unquote. Therefore, the Departments Mission includes taking actions to address the effects of climate change. Already, the impacts of climate change on communities across the Country Extract devastating human and financial costs;
thousands are without power still at last check with the emergency management, 13,000 were without power. portions of the pier have been broken off into the atlantic and there was localized flooding with roads inundated with water. as it stands right now, though, we do not know of any reports of injuries. we ve been checking with the local emergency management here. so far it s just significant damage to the piers. there was cause for concern a short time ago, about an hour ago, as we were reporting, a shrimp boat appeared along the atlantic ocean, just really out of nowhere, getting hammered by the choppy waves at the time. it was unclear if anyone was on the boat at the time, initially when we were reporting. we talked to the sheriff and he said the crew was evacuated yesterday by the coast guard. it was anchored a couple of miles away but intense wind caused it to drift onshore, just off camera there s a huge crowd surrounding the boat. somebody tried to climb on top of th