Disaster Assistance: DOD's Support for Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki and Typhoon Omar
NSIAD-93-180
Published: Jun 18, 1993. Publicly Released: Jun 18, 1993.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the military services' and National Guard's provision of humanitarian services following Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki and Typhoon Omar, focusing on: (1) the roles and missions of the active military and National Guard forces that provided assistance; (2) problems affecting the delivery of assistance; (3) how participation affected the units' readiness and training; (4) whether the military needs to reorient its roles, training, equipment, and doctrine for these operations; and (5) the cost and sources of funding associated with the military's participation in disaster assistance operations.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| In order to improve DOD ability to respond to catastrophic events, Congress may wish to consider amending title 10 of the United States Code to allow reserve component units to be activated to provide disaster assistance. |
Closed – Implemented
|
Congress has not acted on this matter for consideration. In view of the time that has passed since the report was issued, it is unlikely that Congress will take any action on this matter. |
| In order to improve DOD ability to respond to catastrophic events, Congress may wish to consider providing explicit authority in the Stafford Act for DOD to incur reimbursable pre-declaration costs for functions that would enhance its response capabilities when there is advance warning of an impending catastrophic disaster. |
Closed – Implemented
|
This issue is being addressed in a bill being introduced by Senator Glenn in the 103rd Congress. Therefore, regardless of what action is taken on the bill, the recommendation should not remain in an open status. |
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Topics
Defense contingency planningDisaster relief aidDisaster recovery plansEmergency managementEmergency medical servicesEmergency response plansFood relief programsHurricane AndrewHurricane InikiHurricanesInteragency relationsProperty damagesReplacement housingStorms