FEMA releases operational guidelines, hosts webinars on accommodating COVID-19 during hurricane season

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working to make sure that communities will head into 2020’s hurricane season while accounting for the new challenges that COVID-19 has brought.

Published on June 5, the 59-page document includes detailed information on state, local, tribal and territorial government response planning and recovery planning during the 2020 hurricane season.

“The guidance outlines the anticipated challenges to disaster operations posed by the pandemic and highlights planning considerations based on those challenges,” FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor wrote in a May 21 FEMA blog post. “It also outlines how we plan to adapt response and recovery operations to create a shared understanding of expectations between FEMA and emergency managers.”

“It includes guidance, checklists and resources to support emergency managers as they adapt their response and recovery planning during this COVID environment,” Gaynor added.

FEMA is also hosting a set of webinars to explain the guidance and to increase awareness of the guidance. So far, webinar topics have included exercise starter kits, social distancing while sheltering and recovery.

“Our agency has been making extensive efforts not only to continue normal disaster preparations, but to also prepare for those disasters while the COVID-19 response continues,” Gaynor wrote. “These efforts may look different as we practice social distancing and continue to slow the spread.

Click here for additional information about FEMA’s guidance document and webinars.