Official website of the Department of Homeland Security
Disasters
Whatever the disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, leads the federal government’s response as part of a team of responders.
Disasters Overview
Disaster can strike at any time and in any place, building slowly, or occurring suddenly without warning.
Disasters Results
Since 9/11, DHS has made significant progress in how we respond to a wide range of threats, from natural disasters to coordinated attacks.
Disaster Response and Recovery
Every year, disasters put millions of Americans in danger and destroy billions of dollars worth of property.
Disaster Assistance
Disaster assistance is money or direct assistance to individuals, families and businesses whose property has been damaged or destroyed and whose losses are not covered by insurance.
Plan and Prepare for Disasters
Preparedness is defined by DHS/FEMA as "a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action in an effort to ensure effective coordination during incident response." This cycle is one element of a broader National Preparedness System to prevent, respond to, and recover from natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other disasters.
Surge Capacity Force
In the aftermath of a catastrophic event, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) turns to its Surge Capacity Force, a cadre of federal employee heroes who help affected communities by supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) urgent response and recovery efforts.
