Pressure builds for FEMA to declare deadly heat events as disasters
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A disaster declaration by the president could allow states to be reimbursed for taking action that could save lives — such as opening cooling centers, distributing water and checking in with residents door-to-door. States could also ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency to launch an emergency response, such as supplying medical teams or rounding up generators.
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“Heat is the number one natural hazard killer across the United States, and we are seeing a continued increase in the number of heat domes that different communities are experiencing,” Criswell said in a Washington Post Live interview Wednesday.
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While no extreme heat event has received a disaster declaration, it is possible that one could qualify under the Stafford Act, the law addressing federal natural disaster assistance, as either a more limited emergency or a major disaster. Extreme heat is not among the named natural catastrophes that could qualify as a major disaster, but the major disaster declarations for the pandemic suggest that other catastrophies could be eligible.
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