ICYMI – FEMA’s National Resilience Month Garners National Attention, Culminates in a Widely Attended Event Focused on Reaching Communities and Building Nationwide Resilience

WASHINGTON – Last month, FEMA celebrated National Resilience Month and hosted a series of activities, events and announcements throughout August to help communities build local capacity to withstand future hazards and create a more resilient nation. On August 23, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and the DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas hosted a virtual event called “A National Conversation on Resilience in America,” which brought together federal government, state, local agencies, and The Pew Charitable Trusts to discuss funding opportunities and how to strengthen national resilience. 

“Taking forward-looking meaningful steps today to increase resilience, before a tragedy strikes, will save lives, property, critical infrastructure, taxpayer money and jobs tomorrow. Meeting that mandate and doing so quickly, efficiently, and effectively requires all of us at every level of government and across the homeland security enterprise to work together closely,” said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. “We’re here to help streamline communication and coordination, to help cut through red tape and to help you access the critical support and resources you need. That includes hundreds of millions in dollars in grant funding the Biden-Harris Administration has allocated to help communities increase their preparedness and resilience.”

“It’s a chance to unite in the work to build the more resilient nation that our loved one, our neighbors and our friends need and deserve. 2024 is FEMA’s Year of Resilience. The culmination of the work that we’ve been doing with our partners to break the endless cycle of response and recovery,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we have more resources than we have ever had before to help communities access and understand their risks and then take the steps that they need to take to prepare and protect themselves. Altogether, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested a historic $50 billion in building a more resilient and risk-ready nation.” 

Attendees listened to conversations on resilience across America – how to obtain funding to help prepare for, respond to and arrive on other side of a disaster emerging stronger than before. Among underserved and under resourced communities, levels of resiliency vary widely, and the speakers shared examples of what resilience building looks like across these diverse communities. During the event, The Pew Charitable Trusts discussed partnering with communities to build resilience and recognized the positive impact federal funding can have in supporting grassroots organizations. The participants also included FEMA’s Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks, FEMA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for Resilience Chris Logan, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, U. S. Department of Defense, Rebecca Zimmerman, Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director of Office of Response, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Jonathan N. Greene, FEMA Region 7 Administrator, Andrea Spillars, Director, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, U. S. Department of Energy Puesh Kumar, Columbia, Missouri Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, State of Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer and U. S. Conservation, The Pew Charitable Trusts Officer Kristiane Huber. 

To commemorate August as National Resilience Month, FEMA also established the National Disaster & Emergency Management University, released the agency’s National Resilience Guidance, and released $724 million in preparedness funding opportunities for communities across the nation to build resilience. 

Additionally, to educate and share ideas about how communities across the country are working to become more resilient, FEMA featured recovery stories from communities nationwide.

To learn more about how FEMA is building and supporting national resilience visit FEMA.gov.