Your browser doesn't support audio playback.
Just in time for severe thunderstorms to roll across much of the southern half of West Virginia Tuesday, members of the Joint Legislative Committee on Flooding heard about changes coming to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The FEMA Review Council’s recommended changes include:
- streamlining assistance programs
- slashing administrative overhead
- speeding reimbursements
- focusing on individual preparedness and state leadership
“They really are stressing the increased role of the state in all phases of emergency management,” Matt Blackwood, director of West Virginia Emergency Management Division, said in his testimony to the committee. “So really kind of taking the federal role back a step or two and then ensuring that the states are positioned better to lead response and recovery.”
Blackwood said his division is researching how other states are adjusting to the changes to identify best practices for West Virginia.