Overview

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It was created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders on April 1, 1979. FEMA’s primary purpose is to coordinate the response to a disaster that has occurred in the United States and that overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities.

Role in disaster declarations

When a disaster occurs, the governor of the affected state must declare a state of emergency and formally request that FEMA and the federal government respond. FEMA also provides state and local governments with experts in specialized fields, funding for rebuilding efforts, and relief. An exception applies when an emergency or disaster takes place on federal property or affects a federal asset.

Typhoon Champi and Guam

Following Typhoon Champi, the governors of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands requested emergency disaster declarations. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Guam authorizing FEMA to coordinate all federal disaster relief efforts. FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance was available for the territory of Guam to supplement local response efforts. FEMA updates said resources were unlikely to reach the islands for three to five days.