Earthquake Recovery

Staffing and Other Improvements Made Following Loma Prieta Earthquake Gao ID: RCED-92-141 July 30, 1992

The Loma Prieta earthquake, which struck northern California in October 1989, was the most destructive earthquake that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has had to deal with since the agency's creation a decade ago. FEMA has provided more than $350 million in federal assistance to repair damaged buildings and plans to obligate another $164 million, but many requests for disaster assistance remain unfulfilled. FEMA and local authorities have gotten into disputes over funding, primarily over grant eligibility and amounts. This report assesses (1) FEMA's guidance for determining funding eligibility for rebuilding public and nonprofit structures and (2) the agency's strategy for staffing an earthquake recovery effort.

GAO found that: (1) FEMA regulations set 18 months as the period in which Public Assistance Program projects are to be completed, but 2 years after the Loma Prieta earthquake, a number of projects had not been completed; (2) FEMA and local jurisdictions had numerous disputes over the scope and cost of eligible repairs; and (3) disputes and delays were due to lack of final regulations and specific guidance from FEMA on eligibility requirements, hazard mitigation measures, and historic building restoration. GAO also found that: (1) FEMA uses temporary staff for most of its relief work, relying on FEMA permanent staff detailees, a pool of its own reservists, Army Corps of Engineers staff, and technical assistance contractors; (2) FEMA reliance on temporary staffing led to disputes and inefficiencies because of the high turnover in temporary staff and insufficient permanent personnel to train and supervise temporary staff; (3) FEMA has increased trained staff availability by increasing its permanent staff, increasing contractor professionals and hours, and obtaining engineers from the Tennessee Valley Authority; and (4) procedural problems also caused disputes, delays, and inefficiencies.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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