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One of the biggest threats to national security may not come from terrorists, home grown or otherwise. One of the biggest threats to national security is Mother Nature. She may also be one of the most expensive.
Check out the timeline to learn more about how many disaster areas have been declared since the beginning of 2011 and when the nastiest bouts of nature occurred.
2011 had not been a good year for disasters. With an onslaught of disasters from snowstorms to tornadoes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has spent millions on disaster relief efforts – despite the fact that they don’t have much money to spend.
The Washington Post reports that FEMA is already in $17 billion in debt from natural disaster aid spent since 2005, and that as of March 31 the organization has spent $19.1 million on Mississippi River flood relief.
In the post-Katrina world, the biggest fear for the Obama administration is bungling another natural disaster. That means making sure relief efforts and aid are well funded, efficient and serving the local communities.
As the agency hands out millions to citizens from Tuscaloosa to Joplin, the House of Representatives passed a bill to grant FEMA and extra $1 million to help pay for increased aid payments. As of June 1, the Tri-City Herald reports that the measure had passed out of committee in the Senate, but a full vote had not yet been scheduled.
