Federal emergency managers are bracing themselves for the herculean task of handling multiple natural disasters while the coronavirus pandemic taxes their resources
“Covid is the equivalent of Hurricane Katrina hitting 50 states instead of two,” said former FEMA official Barry Scanlon. “You have all of the country’s public and private resources taxed beyond comprehension.”
The outbreak dramatically complicates efforts to temporarily house people who evacuate during disasters. Because of how contagious the virus is, bringing large groups of people to food banks or soup kitchens would pose great peril. And housing people on gym floors or in church basements during emergencies presents immense risk of infection.
Forrester said that his group and others have been in close contact with FEMA as part of the ESF #6 partnership, agency jargon for Emergency Support Function #6 — mass care, emergency assistance, housing and human services. “We currently do not have shortfalls in this area, and given the increasing shortage of supplies for critical health professionals, we are distributing a portion of this stockpile to points of highest need as defined by our government partners,” he said in a statement.
Hurricane season alone has the potential to swamp FEMA's capacity. Throw in a global pandemic, former officials say, and the agency could be stretched beyond its limits. On top of everything else, there’s the question of how the virus will affect FEMA’s own workforce in the coming months.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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